Select aspects of long-term care provision based on opinions of direct informal caregivers

Abstract

Introduction. The deteriorating health of persons of advanced age necessitates that essential health care services are provided not only by networks of health care institutions but by informal caregivers as well. Aim. The aim of this study was to assess select aspects of care provision for persons requiring long-term care on the basis of opinions shared by their direct informal caregivers. Materials and methods. Surveys were administered to 982 individuals providing informal care for chronically ill persons or for those with disabilities. The survey was conducted in 2017. The questionnaire contained questions concerning the dysfunctions of chronically ill or disabled persons in their daily functioning and addressed related care problems. Results. Over half of the informal caretakers in the study were over 50 years of age (52.5%), had completed secondary educations (45.8%), and lived mainly in cities with populations under 50 thousand (63.4%). Reconciling care-related duties with one’s own professional work or studies was a problem for 43.2% of caregivers. The care tasks which entailed the greatest difficulties for caregivers were washing intimate areas after urination (57.4%) and bowel movements (55.6%) as well as total body bathing. Conclusions. In the opinion of over half of the surveyed caregivers, the activity posing the greatest difficulty for those providing care for persons partially or completely immobilized and possessing physiological dysfunctions (urinary or fecal incontinence) was the washing of intimate areas of the body.