Abstract

• Purpose
  The purpose of this study was to identify the factors related to the wellbeing of the family caregivers of the elderly with a stroke.
• Methods
  The subjects of this study were 199 elderly treated in four oriental hospitals in Korea, and their primary family caregivers. The data was collected by interviewsand a self reported questionnaire, during the period from October, 2003 to April, 2004.
• Results
  The results of this study were as follows. The mean score of wellbeing of family caregivers was 60.6412.63. The factors related to wellbeing of family caregivers were sex, age, education, depression, illness severity, ADL, paralysis, and speech disability in elderly characteristics. Among family caregivers characteristics, education, relation, and burden were significantly related. In situational variables, family income and the previous relationship between the elderly and family caregivers were related to wellbeing. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of wellbeing was the burden of family caregivers. A combination of the depression of elderly and age of family caregivers accounted for 50.3% of the variance of wellbeing.
• Conclusions
  On developing the nursing intervention for improving wellbeing of family caregivers, many factors should be considered, especially caregiver burden, and elderly depression.
• Keywords: Stroke; Family caregivers; Quality of life

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