Introduction:

The aging population has resulted in an increase of disease in older adults. Including Alzheimer's disease, which is a threat to patient caregivers and family.

Objective:

To demonstrate the relationship between the patient's dependence with Alzheimer's disease to perform the basic activities of daily life with the perceived overload the primary caregiver, at the Polyclinic Carlos Manuel Portuondo, in Marianao.

Methods:

A descriptive correlational study. It was selected a sample of 35 primary caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease who were familiar charge and responsible for the realization of patient care and resident at home, without receiving financial compensation in return, providing care for more than six months and they gave their consent for participation in the study. Zarit Scale: Katz Index and caregiver burden interview was applied. For information processing SPSS 15.0 was used. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient for the relationship between variables was used.

Results:

predominated overloaded caregivers and patients who require assistance to perform basic activities of daily life. They required assistance with bathing, moving and feeding, variables that were significantly related to overloading.

Conclusions:

There is a significant relationship between dependence for basic activities of daily living of patients with Alzheimer's disease and perceived overload the primary caregiver.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )