Burden of Informal Caregivers from HHC Military Hospital - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Background: Home health care (HHC) services guarantee good patient care and family support. Understanding how we can better help our informal caregivers (IC) by understanding their needs and the burden they experience is crucial; (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2024 at (HHC) facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22) was used to assess the caregiver burden (CB). IC from patients with specific diseases (palliative, cancer, chronic, and dementia) and other factors were studied to identify any association with informal caregiver burden (ICB); (3) Results: Significant CB was defined as ZBI ≥ 21. Total IC (384) participants: 119 (dementia) patients, 104 (chronic), 83 (palliative) and 78 (cancer). The total mean of the ZBI-22 score among IC was 31.66, representing a significant CB. The mean by groups was chronic (38.28), dementia (34.97), cancer (25.21), and palliative patients (22.94). Other variables, such as the duration of care, education level, relationship with the patient, and unemployment, were associated with CB (p-value < 0.05); (4) Conclusions: The caregivers' characteristics and the patient’s disease were associated with significant CB. More interventions from healthcare workers to support the IC are essential to release their burden.