Abstract

We evaluated the quality of life related to health and work overloads among 126 caregivers to patients at two geriatric outpatient clinics of a university hospital, as well as the association between overloads and demographic and clinical variables, using an exploratory, descriptive, cross sectional and quantitative approach. The Zarit Burden Interview, a socio-demographic and clinical characterization instrument, was used to assess perceived workloads and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess quality of life related of health. Descriptive, comparative, correlative, and multivariate data analyses were carried out. There was significant difference between two outpatient caregiver workloads; all socio-demographic aspects and variables related to care were associated to worsening at least one dimension of the SF-36; frequent illnesses among caregivers were related to a worsening of their quality of life related to health, demonstrating the wear experienced by caregivers to the elderly in these health care units.