Burden, coping strategies, and family caregivers of older people with clinical frailty in the COVID-19 context.
Luana Vitro, Maria Goreti da Silva Cruz, Ana Lúcia de Moraes Horta
PMID 41294161WHAT IT FOUND
Family caregivers of frail older adults in Brazil reported emotional and financial burden, health worsening, and reliance on family support and religious coping.
Nurses can ask caregivers about burden and support gaps.
Key findings
01Among 170 main family caregivers, 82% were women and 65.9% were aged 50-69; emotional and financial burden was present in caregivers of older people with stroke, Parkinson’s, and dementia, even with family support.
02Emotional burden and personal-life implications without family help were associated with greater religious coping; family support with personal-life implications was associated with emotion-focused coping; and spouse help without professional support was associated with less problem-focused coping.
03Interviews described burden worsening physical and mental health, role reversal and anticipatory mourning, religious and spiritual coping, and ineffective family or professional support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The authors say it is only a regional study in São Paulo and does not represent the whole region or country. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which the authors say limits comprehensiveness. The cross-sectional design and self-reported perceptions cannot show cause or effect. The study describes experiences and correlations, not tested interventions.
Declared interests
This work was supported by CAPES (Financing Code 001). The supplied text does not state author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the religious coping and support findings as proof that a nursing intervention reduces burden. This was a cross-sectional self-report study, so it cannot show cause.