Alzheimer Hastalarına Bakım Veren Bireylerde Bakım Yükü ve Yaşam Kalitesinin İncelenmesi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Alzheimer hastalarına bakım sağlayan bireylerin bakım yükü ve yaşam kalitesi düzeylerini belirlemek ve aralarındaki ilişkiyi değerlendirmek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve ilişki arayıcı türde planlanan bu araştırma, Mayıs 2024–Şubat 2025 tarihleri arasında Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde yer alan özel bir hastanenin nöroloji polikliniğinde başlayarak Kartopu örnekleme yöntemiyle 191 katılımcıya ulaşıldı. Katılımcılara, sosyo-demografik bilgi formu, Bakım Verme Yük Ölçeği ve Alzheimer Hastalığında Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistiklere ek olarak t-testi, ANOVA ve Pearson korelasyon analizi kullanıldı.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların çoğu kadın, çalışan ve üniversite mezunudur. Bakım veren yükü düzeylerinin orta düzeyde olduğu, yaşam kalitesi düzeylerinin ise görece düşük olduğu belirlendi. Bakım veren yükü ve yaşam kalitesi düzeylerinin yaş ve gelir düzeyine göre farklılık gösterdiği saptandı. Ayrıca, bakım veren yükü ile yaşam kalitesi arasında anlamlı ve negatif yönlü bir ilişki olduğu belirlendi.
Sonuç: Araştırma bulguları, Alzheimer hastalarına bakım sunan bireylerin yaşam kalitelerinin, algıladıkları bakım yükünden önemli ölçüde etkilendiğini göstermektedir. Hemşirelerin bu bireyleri çok boyutlu değerlendirmesi, bireyselleştirilmiş müdahaleler planlaması ve destekleyici hizmetleri yaygınlaştırması önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Alzheimer hastalığı
• bakım yükü
• yaşam kalitesi
• hemşirelik

An Investigation of Caregiver Burden and Quality of Life Among Individuals Providing Care to Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Öz

Aim: This study aimed to determine the levels of caregiver burden and quality of life among individuals providing care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and to examine the relationship between these two variables.
Method: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted between May 2024 and February 2025, starting at the neurology outpatient clinic of a private hospital located in the Black Sea Region and completed with 191 participants through snowball sampling. Participants were administered a sociodemographic information form, the Caregiver Burden Scale, and the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease Scale. In addition to descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were used for data analysis.
Results: Most participants were women, employed, and university graduates. Caregiver burden levels were found to be moderate, whereas quality of life levels were found to be relatively low. Differences in caregiver burden and quality of life levels were identified according to age and income levels. In addition, a significant negative relationship between caregiver burden and quality of life was identified.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the quality of life of individuals caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease is significantly affected by their perceived caregiver burden. It is essential that nurses holistically assess the needs of caregivers, develop individualized care strategies, and expand access to support services to improve caregiver well-being.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Alzheimer’s disease
• caregiver burden
• quality of life
• nursing

Etik Beyan

This study was conducted in full compliance with ethical principles. Participation was entirely voluntary, and informed consent was obtained from all individuals involved after they were informed about the purpose and procedures of the research. The data were anonymized and evaluated in a manner that protected the privacy and personal rights of participants. Prior to the initiation of the study, ethical approval was obtained from the Istanbul Arel University Ethics Committee (Date: April 5, 2024, Protocol No: 2024-08). This manuscript has not been submitted to another journal for simultaneous consideration and has been approved by all authors. Conflict of Interest Statement: The author(s) declare that there is no conflict of interest related to this study.

Teşekkür

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the participants who voluntarily took part in this study and generously shared their time and experiences. Their valuable contributions made this research possible.

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