Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Apr;36(2):114-9.
doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.84129.

Profile of Home-based Caregivers of Bedridden Patients in North India

Puneet Bains  1 , Amarjeet Singh Minhas
Affiliations

Profile of Home-based Caregivers of Bedridden Patients in North India

Puneet Bains et al. Indian J Community Med. 2011 Apr.

Erratum in

  • Erratum: ERRATUM.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Indian J Community Med. 2011 Oct;36(4):312. Indian J Community Med. 2011. PMID: 22279266 Free PMC article.

Abstract

Background: Caregiving to bedridden patients in India is set to become a major problem in future.

Objective: To ascertain the profile of caregivers for the adult bedridden patients in Chandigarh, India.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 purposively selected bedridden people. The Katz Index of the activities of daily living was used to ascertain their degree of disability. Patients and families were interviewed about the patterns of care provision.

Results: The mean age of subjects was 69 years. A majority (68%) of them lived in joint families. All of them required assistance in bathing, dressing, toileting, and transfer. In 54% of the cases someone was hired to look after the subjects. A majority of the caregivers (82%) were family members. All caregivers were untrained. In 35% of the cases unqualified practitioners were consulted, while in 59% of the cases government hospitals were consulted. Most patients (78) were given medicines on time. Complications like urinary tract infection (39%) and pressure ulcers (54%) were reported; 57% of the patients reported satisfaction with the care provided.

Conclusion: The main source of caregivers for the bedridden was the family. Bedridden people had high rates of medical complications. There is a need for formal training for the caregivers.

Keywords: Bedridden; caregiver; geriatrics; long-term care; quality of care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Profile of the caregivers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Geneva: World Health Organization Report; 1999. WHO Ageing in India.
    1. Kutsal GY. Geriatry. Hacettepe Med J. 2000;31:40–58.
    1. Whiteneck GG, Charlifue SW, Grehart KA, Overhoiser JD. Quantifying Handicap: A New Measure of Long Term Rehabilitation Outcomes. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1992;73:519–26. - PubMed
    1. Katz S, Ford AB, Moskowitz RW, Jackson BA, Jaffe MW. Studies of Illness in the Aged. The Index of Activitiesof Daily living. A standardized Measure of Biological and Psychosocial Function. JAMA. 1963;185:914–9. - PubMed
    1. Matsuyama N, Takano K, Miura A, Yamamoto T, Mashiko T, Ohotani H. The effect of anti-platelet aggregation to prevent pressure ulcer development: A retrospective study of 132 elderly patients Gerontology. 2000;46:311–7. - PubMed