Predictors of Caregiver Burden in Delirium: Patient and Caregiver Factors.
Patricia A Tabloski, Franchesca Arias, Nina Flanagan and 7 others
PMID 34432572WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers reported more burden when the patient had severe delirium, lower cognitive scores, or needed help with daily activities, especially transfers.
Sleep problems, pain, and toileting help were not linked to burden.
Key findings
01Higher caregiver burden was associated with greater peak delirium severity and lower cognitive test scores.
02Caregivers of patients with any ADL impairment reported higher burden, and needing help transferring was the only ADL item significantly associated with burden.
03Child, child-in-law, or other relatives living with the patient reported higher burden than those living separately, while spouses or partners generally reported lower burden when living with the patient.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a secondary analysis of one hospital site, so results may not apply to other settings. The study found associations, not causes, and caregiver burden was measured 1 month after discharge while some predictors came from hospitalization. Acute distress during delirium may have been missed, and later persistent burden may not have been captured. Detailed caregiver characteristics such as education, health, depression, coping, and social support were not collected. Many enrolled patients were not analysed because they had no caregiver dyad, caregiver refusal or attrition, patient death, or nursing home residence; 207 of 352 were included. The study did not test interventions or examine specific delirium features in detail.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these predictors as causes of caregiver burden or assume that treating pain, sleep, or mobility will reduce it. The study measured associations 1 month after discharge, not an intervention, and sleep, pain, and toileting help were not significantly linked to burden.