Health-Related Quality of Life and Related Characteristics of Informal Caregivers Providing Home Health Care to Elderly Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of informal caregivers providing primary care to elderly chronically ill patients receiving home health care services in Türkiye and to identify patient and caregiver characteristics independently associated with HRQoL.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 499 patient-caregiver dyads enrolled in home health care services at a training and research hospital in İzmir, Türkiye. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). One-sample t-tests compared SF-36 scores with Turkish normative values. Multivariate linear regression identified independent predictors of the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores.

Results

Caregivers scored significantly lower than population norms across all SF-36 subdimensions (p < 0.001), with the largest impairments in Role Physical (mean difference: -53.0) and Role Emotional (-42.9). In multivariate analyses, independent predictors of poorer physical health (PCS) were severe patient functional dependence (PPS ≤ 30: β = -0.260, p < 0.001), older caregiver age (≥65 years: β = -0.089, p = 0.044), unemployment (β = -0.118, p = 0.014), additional care recipients (β = -0.095, p = 0.026), and caregiver's own chronic illness (β = -0.169, p < 0.001). Poorer mental health (MCS) was independently associated with caregiver's own chronic illness (β = -0.138, p = 0.002), receipt of caregiving payment (β = -0.137, p = 0.004), and university-level education (β = -0.108, p = 0.040), whereas the presence of a support person was protective (β = 0.096, p = 0.038).

Conclusions

Informal caregivers of home health care-dependent elderly patients experience significantly reduced quality of life across all health domains compared with the general population. The independent determinants of caregiver health are multidimensional, encompassing patient-related factors, socioeconomic characteristics, and psychosocial resources. These findings underscore the urgent need for health systems to implement tailored interventions that address the distinct physical and mental health needs of caregivers, with particular attention to those who are elderly, chronically ill, socioeconomically disadvantaged, or highly educated.