Significance of Burden and Competence of Caregiving among Elderly Patients of Dementia

Page: 80-84
Tripti Singh and Kamayani Mathur (Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Philosophy & Education, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat)

Dementia is a syndrome of a chronic or gradual nature where cognitive function deteriorates beyond what could be expected from normal aging process (WHO, 2017). Dementia among elderly people causes disability and dependency even for trivial tasks of daily routine. Therefore the caregiver’s task is quite overwhelming, and leaves an impact upon their physical, psychological and economic conditions. A caregiver is a member of a family or social network that assists the patient with their daily activities. The aim of this research was to study the role of caregivers and their feeling of burden and competence in the task of caregiving. A total sample of 53 caregivers of elderly patients of dementia were selected by purposive sampling method. The sample was further divided as per gender and type of caregivers. Zarit Burden Interview Scale (Zarit, 1980) and Sense of Competence Questionnaire (Vernooji-Dassen, Persoon, & Felling, 1996) were selected as tools. The collected data was statistically analysed by using Student’s ‘t’ test. The findings demonstrated the important difference between the gender of caregivers with regards to the burden of caregiving. This was indicative of the feminine sense of caregiving as natural than in males. Similarly the findings in case of type of caregivers were significant. Closeness and intimacy in relations makes the task of caregiving less burdensome. Competence in the caregivers is seen more in males than females, children and other relatives are more competent and spouses have less competence levels as they are elderly people themselves.