Caregivers of elderly people losing their autonomy in Lebanon: Health care contexts
The primary objective of this pan-Lebanese study is to describe the healthcare context of family caregivers cohabiting with an elderly relative with loss of autonomy. The secondary objective is the qualitative documentation of their positive and negative perceptions about the role of the caregivers. The study uses a theoretical stress framework. The results indicate that the caregivers (n = 319) who take care of relatives (40% of whom have memory troubles) undergo a moderate level of loss of autonomy, and present depressive rather than “disturbing” behaviors. The caregivers are particularly affected by the behaviors of their relatives. They accomplish a number of health care tasks and very few receive formal services to support them. Their neighborhood offers them more emotional than instrumental support. More caregivers perceive more positive than negative aspects in their role. Recommendations are formulated to guide the development of a national policy of support for caregivers and the development of innovative community care practices.