The objective for this study was to evaluate perceptions of caregivers of dependent elderly related to caregivers’ burden, coping resources, and quality of life, and to study the relationship of each variable. The participants in this study were 120 older adult caregivers who lived in the municipal area in Nakhon Phanom province. The measurements used in the study were demographic data, coping resources, caregiver burden, social support, and quality of life questionnaire. The data were evaluated by the SPSS program and used statistical analysis of Pearson’s Moment Correlation and Spearman’s Rank Correlation. The results were that most of the older adults’ caregivers were women (84%) and their relationship with the elderly was son and daughter. The ages of the older adults’ caregivers were between 20 to 80 years old and the mean age was 56 years old (SD = 10.70). Most of them were married (60%) with an elementary education level (36%). Their average income was 5, 974 baht per month (SD = 5287). The length of their care was about 2 months to 108 months with a average of 23.55 month (SD =21.24). About 73 percent of the older adults’ caregivers gave the reason for their care that it was their responsibility. Their perception of caregiver burdens was in moderate level (Mean = 37.51 , SD = 8.02). They perceived that more of the social support they received was from families than from friends and healthcare providers (Mean = 18.65, SD = 2.97; M = 16.36, SD = 3.56; M = 14.5, SD = 3.98 respectively). The caregivers perceived that their quality of life was in moderate level (Mean = 19.06, SD = 2.5). A hypothesis about factors related to quality of life was tested and it was found that caregiver burden had a significant negative correlation with quality of life (r = -.22, p<.05) and social support had a significant positive correlation with quality of life (r = .38, p<.001.) The study results showed that caregivers’ burdens and social support had a relationship with quality of life of the dependent older adults’ caregivers. Thus nurses should encourage caregivers to use appropriate social support, especially from their family members and to release caregiver’s burden by management to reduce care difficulties and to appropriately responsed to the dependent older adults.

Adult Nursing มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล ปี 2549

care, of, Quality, CAREGIVERS, life, OLDER, ADULTS’, BURDEN