Behavior upset in hypertensive and normotensive black female caregivers

Abstract

While emotional reactions have been associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, this phenomenon has received little attention among caregivers of the elderly especially black caregivers. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to explore and compare the levels of caregiver upset among hypertensive and normotensive black female caregivers. Ten hypertensive and eight normotensive black female caregivers of elderly persons were recruited specifically for this study. Data on the subjects' daily hassles, caregiving demands, and resources were collected by means of face-to-face interviews. While hypertensive and normotensive caregivers reported equivalent levels of daily hassles, and resources, they differed significantly in their emotional reactions to the care recipients' behavior. Hypertensive caregivers reported higher levels of caregiving demands and more upsets with the behavior of the care recipients. These findings suggest that nurses must assess not only the caregiving situation but also the caregiver's appraisal, especially among hypertensive black caregivers, since blacks have an earlier onset and greater severity of hypertension than whites.