Background:

caring daily for a dependent elderly family member has an impact on the caregiver's health, who, due to overload, transforms from a healthy person into a sick person.

Objectives:

to assess the level of family caregiver burden, and to assess the effect of a nursing intervention supported by a psychoeducational program.

Methodology:

quasi-experimental study. It took place in health units in the Lisbon region, with two groups: experimental group (received a nursing intervention supported by a psychoeducational program) and control group (usual care). Convenience sample of 64 families evaluated before and 2 months after the intervention. Instruments: sociodemographic questionnaire and Zarit scale. Ethical procedures were considered.

Results:

caregivers had the following characteristics: mean age 63 years, caring for 1-3 years, fashion was being female, married, retired, being a daughter and living with the elderly. The burden of the experimental group at T1 (X= 59.3) decreased after the T2 intervention (X= 53.9), compared to the control group, whose values ​​remained without statistically significant differences T1 (X= 51.9) and T2 (X=51.2).

Conclusions:

the easy-to-apply nursing intervention helps the caregiver to acquire skills to deal with caregiving, maintaining the social function of caring for the family member.