The caregiver burden of Alzheimer's patients: an evolutionary concept analysis

Abstract Introduction and purpose: Due to increased population of the elderly, the risk of developing chronic diseases including Alzheimer’s in the society increases. The burden, caused by the elderly care affects various physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of the caregivers. Although the concept of caregiver burden has been generally used in medicine and nursing, it has no clear and specific definition. This analysis will result in identification of the characteristics of caregiver burden concept, and its developing conditions and outcomes, which may be effective in domain of research and practice to reduce the caregiver burden. The present study aimed to clarify the concept of caregiver burden among caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Method: In the present study, through Rogers’s evolutionary concept analysis method, all papers published from 2010 to 2017 were reviewed. The search was limited to papers with Persian and English full texts. The data, associated with the attributes, antecedents, concept consequences, surrogate terms and the data, related to nursing context and its changes over time, were summarized and coded. Results: Concept analysis showed that the caregiver burden concept in patients with Alzheimer’s disease has two major attributes in familial (women as the most important caregivers, increased economic costs) and personal (shortage of time, increased responsibility, and the workload of the caregivers) dimensions. Discussion: The antecedents are also determined in three dimensions of patients’ characteristics (disease symptoms, comorbidity), caregivers’ characteristics (knowledge and awareness, caregivers’ experiences), and support resources (economic, social, and familial resources). Furthermore, the outcomes were specified in four dimensions including physical diseases, psychological disorders, impaired social function, and development of a sense of pleasure and hope. Conclusion: The caregiver burden concept is multidimensional and complex and includes a wide range of behaviors and characteristics. Furthermore, it is dynamic and changes over time. This analysis, in addition to identification of the characteristics of caregiver burden concept, will be a starting point for further research and development of this concept and nursing knowledge expansion