CARING FOR THE PATIENT WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE:
THE SUBJECTIVE IMPACT OF THE DISEASE ON THE PRIMARY CAREGIVING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PANDEMIC BY COVID-19
Caregiver; Alzheimer's Disease; Pandemic; Overload.
Introduction: With the growth of the elderly population in Brazil, the prevalence of diseases that lead to functional disability of the elderly also increases, generating the need for a caregiver, a role normally performed by a family member. Among the diseases that lead to functional disability, we have dementias, the most common being Alzheimer's Disease (AD). With the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2), social isolation measures were taken, making this care for the elderly with AD even more difficult. Objective: 1) To verify the association between the total score and each of the dimensions of the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) and the characteristics of caregivers and the care provided; 2) To verify the association between the total score and each of the dimensions of the CBS and the sociodemographic, clinical and functional characteristics of the elderly with AD. Method: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out with primary caregivers, male and female, of elderly people diagnosed with AD treated at the Centro Especializado de Atenção à Saúde do Idoso (CEASI), in the city of Natal/RN, from March 2020 to March 2021. Simple descriptive and inferential analyzes were performed using Student's T-tests and ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r), <0.05. Results: The sample has consisted of 40 primary caregivers of elderly people with AD, 38 women, and two men. There were significant associations between the CBS total score and the CBS Disappointment, Emotional Involvement and Environment dimensions and with the caregiver's age group (p<0.05); between the Emotional Involvement dimension and the variables “marital status” of the caregiver (p=0.008) and “work or study outside” (p=0.042); between the Emotional Involvement dimension and the variables of the tasks performed by the caregiver, “Helps in hygiene” (p=0.044) and Helps with clothing (p=0.0360; between the Environment dimension and the variable time of dedication to the elderly” (p=0.0360); =0.016). There was a statistically significant difference between the Isolation dimension and the patient's "marital status" variable. Conclusion: in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the subjective impact of AD on the caregiver was considered relevant, maintaining strong relationships with their range younger caregivers had higher scores on the CBS. On the contrary, caregivers who did not perform the tasks “Help with hygiene” and “Help with dressing”, less time of dedication, work or study outside and without marital life had greater impacts.