Conceptual structure of the Family caregivers of the dependent elderly’s tension

Abstract

The increase in elderly population with changes in functional ability has led to the emergence of the phenomenon of stress in family caregivers. In our context, this is not well discussed in the gerontological research and health care. Taking these aspects into consideration, this study, developed in 2003 and based on the method proposed by Schwartz-Barcott and Kim for the Hybrid Model of Conceptual Analysis, aimed to draw up a theoretical outline of the concept Family caregivers of the dependent elderly’s tension, to subsidize the health care of that clientele. To the first stage, of theoretical analysis, we used a corpus of 84 studies relevant to the topic, published in Portuguese, English and Spanish, between 1990 and 2001; the results supported the development of the instrument of data collection. The second phase, of field study, involved thirty family caregivers, with data being collected through individual interviews, and analyzed quantitatively. The comparison between the theoretical and empirical findings resulted in a conceptual structure of Family caregivers of the dependent elderly’s tension that includes the antecedent factors, critical attributes and consequences of the phenomenon. The phenomenon investigated presents itself as multidimensional, and it is recommended the inclusion oft the elderly, the caregiver and the family as inter-related subjects in the professional care.