Effect of Family-Centered Empowerment Model on the Care Burden of the Caregivers of Older Adults with Heart Failure

Developing a chronic disease, like heart failure in older adults disrupts the foundations of the family and imposes a heavy burden on family members. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the Family-Centered Empowerment Model (FCEM) on the care burden of family caregivers of older adults with heart failure.

It was a quasi-experimental study with a controlled before and after design, which was conducted on 80 primary caregivers of older adults with heart failure referring to health centers affiliated with Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. The subjects were non-randomly assigned to either the control (n=40) or intervention (n=40) groups. The program was implemented based on the concepts of the model (perceived threat, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and evaluation) in eight 2-hour sessions, twice a week for four consecutive weeks. Both groups answered the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) in the beginning, in the end, and one month after the study. The data were analyzed by Chi-square, t-test, and the repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 16 software. 

There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the pretest mean score of care burden (P>0.05). However, the groups’ mean score of care burden was significantly different immediately after the intervention (P<0.05) and one month after the study (P<0.05). The repeated measures ANOVA illustrated a significant difference between the mean scores of care burden in the three measurement time points (P<0.0001).

Implementation of the FCEM model reduces the burden of care in caregivers of older adults with heart failure. It is suggested that this model be used in training programs for older adults with heart failure and their caregivers.