Exploring the Burden Experiences of Care Partners for People with Parkinson's Disease Living in Southwestern Ontario
Abstract
This thesis quantitatively explored the burden experiences of care partners of people with Parkinson’s Disease in Southwestern Ontario. Thirty-five complete responses (27 females, 8 males) and three partial responses to an online survey were obtained. The survey included a demographic section (41 items), two measures of burden and a quality of life measure. Care partner data were stratified based on Zarit Burden Inventory scores for analysis. Of the Little to No Burden (n=4), Mild Burden (n=15), Moderate Burden (n=8), and Severe Burden (n=4) groups, weekly hours spent on care duties and years in the care partner role were similar. The Severe Burden group provided most assistance with toileting (p=0.0007), eating (p=0.0037), dressing (p =0.0099) and bathing (p=0.0076), when compared to the Little to No Burden group. The Severe Burden group also accessed significantly more formal assistance compared to the Moderate and Little to No Burden groups.