"Dialogue Circles" to Reduce the Level of Caregiver Overload in Complex Chronic Patients and Advanced Chronic Disease

Overview

The increase in life expectancy and the decrease in the birth rate have led to an aging population and a higher prevalence of chronic diseases. This has generated the need for informal caregivers of older adults to face health care situations of this population. On the other hand, it has become evident how the epidemiological profile has changed over the last 50 years, with a decrease in infectious diseases and a higher prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases, which increase the demand for family caregivers. Caring for a dependent family member can negatively affect the caregiver's health in his or her affective and working life. In the first phase, a cross-sectional descriptive study will be carried out and in the second phase, an experimental study, randomized clinical trial (RCT) with simple masking will be conducted Objectives: Phase I general objective is to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the study sample. Specific in this phase are to analyze the relationship between level of caregiver strain and sociodemographic variables collected from primary caregivers, to analyze the relationship between level of caregiver strain and the patient's ability to perform activities of daily living, to analyze the relationship between level of caregiver strain and the patient's ability to perform activities of daily living. To analyze the relationship between level of caregiver overload and deterioration in the patient's cognitive sphere. To analyze the relationship between overload and the instrumental activities that the patient can perform. To analyze the relationship between overload and mental health from a positive perspective. Phase II: the general objective is to determine the efficacy of the nursing intervention, dialogue circles, to reduce the level of overload perceived by caregivers of patients identified as complex chronic patients and chronic advanced disease. The specific objectives are to compare the level of overload perceived by the main caregivers before and after the intervention between the experimental group and the control group, and the degree of satisfaction with the dialogue circles nursing intervention. It will be carried out in Catalonia, in the populations of the metropolitan area of Barcelona, belonging to the Primary Care Service (SAP) Baix Llobregat Centre.