The informal caregiver arises from the need to care for sick and elderly in their homes with the task of assisting with medications, hygiene and food without payment. This kind of aid raises overhead in physical, psychological and financial. From the quality of care emphasizes the need to look at and assist caregivers in helping hard their patients, which most are elderly. The aim is to present the perceptions experienced by informal caregivers, as well as recognition of the same burdens that affect them holistically: emotional, physical, financial and the importance of developing coping strategies through training on how to better care. The interviewed in the research belong to the North and Central Portugal, answer to the survey adapted from The Zarit Burden Interview. The interviews were analyzed with the support of NVivo 8 software. The data indicate that informal caregivers face more types of physical and emotional than financial burden. However, they stressed that despite the difficulties like taking care of their families. About being invited to participate in training on how to best care, some have confirmed their interest. We found that informal caregivers are lacking of an education that enables them to better care for preventing unsafe consequences.
informal caregivers; elderly; dependents; home; experiences
