title: [Impact on the primary carer of an intervention carried out on dependent elderly people].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of joining a home care program on primary caregivers of dependent elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Non-randomised "before-after" intervention study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary Care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary carers of elderly dependent people included in a home care program (n=156; 7.8% loss to follow up).
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion in a home care program for chronically dependent elderly and the assessment of the primary carer in the same year. VARIABLES ASSESSED: perceived health, frequency of visits, questionnaires of quality of life (Nottingham questionnaire), psychological health (Goldberg questionnaire), social support (Duke-UNC scale) and overburden of caregivers (Zarit questionnaire) and satisfaction with care received.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant changes in perceived health. Improvement in the areas of energy, sleep, emotional and social relationship of the quality of life. Decreased attendance (8.4 vs. 7.5, p<0.05) and the percentage of overusers (30.1 vs 6.9%, P<.01). A reduced percentage of caregivers expressed low social support (8.3 vs 2.8%, P<.05) and caregiver overburden (56.4 vs 44.4%, P<.05). 90.3% of caregivers believed that care had improved at the end of intervention, with a significant improvement of satisfaction of overall medical and nursing care received (7.6 vs 8, 4, 7.9 vs 8.5 and 7 vs 8.5; P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Joining a home care program for dependents has a positive impact on their primary caregiver and improves their perception of care received, reducing their use of health services, reducing the level of overburden and their perceived lack of social support.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Salud Sillería, Toledo, España. roruetas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orueta-Sánchez
authors.forename: Rosa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gómez-Calcerrada
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gómez-Caro
authors.forename: Arancha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Oropesa
authors.forename: M Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: López-Gil
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toledano-Sierra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005853:Geriatrics; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans