The effect of an elderly people caregivers' educational program: a cultural perspective

OBJECTIVE: Determining the effect of implementing a culturally-based educational program for caregivers working with the elderly in conditions of disability and poverty in a sector of Bogota, Colombia; perceived health, family functioning, caregiver burden and depression were the variables of interest. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study, involving using pre-test and post-test;56 family caregivers participated: 37 in the experimental group and 19 in the control group. The educational program consisted of six group sessions with a 30-day interval. Each session had five phases: sensitization, culturally-appropriate information, decision-making, commitment to action and closure. These were led by a nurse who was an expert in gerontology-geriatrics and transcultural nursing. Several scales were applied: self-perception of health, family Apgar, caregiver burden and depression scale. RESULTS: The culturally-based educational program had statistically significant effects on the variables being considered: family functioning (T=2.506; p=0.015) and caregiver burden (p=-2.149 T=0.036). Self-perception of health and depression revealed no statistically significant differences. DISCUSSION: Health education activities addressed from a cultural approach may lead to co-creating therapeutic diversity arising from dialogue and mediation between popular and professional knowledge. It could be a key against the lack of success in users' adherence to health facilities and treatment.