The other side of aging (RETRACTED)

Realities and challenges of informal elder care providers

Abstract

RETRACTED ARTICLE

Introduction: population aging increases the demand for care for elderly people with chronic diseases and functional dependence. In this scenario, non-professional caregivers play a vital role in home care and continuity of care. An evaluation of their experience with healthcare services is a key quality of care indicator and helps identify gaps in geriatric care, especially in healthcare systems with limited resources, such as the Peruvian system.

Objective: to evaluate the experience of non-professional caregivers for elderly patients treated at a reference hospital in Peru.

Method: this was a cross-sectional descriptive study of non-professional caregivers of elderly patients seen in the last six months at Hospital Nacional “Edgardo Rebagliati Martins.” The 2018 IEXPAC validated survey was applied to a convenience sample during November and December 2024.

Results: 120 caregivers, with an average age of 48.6 ± 12.0 years participated; 95% were women. The items with the highest positive response were “knowing whom to contact in case of an adequate home care, a concern for the patient’s well-being, and safety in the use of medications. Altogether, 99.2% felt that a specialized geriatric service should be created, and 90% felt that weekly care should be expanded.

Conclusions: caregivers perceive an inadequate supply of specialized geriatric services. These findings indicate the need to strengthen comprehensive care models for the elderly within the Peruvian health system