The social networks of caregivers of dependent older adults

Chronic illnesses have long-term consequences on the independence of older adults; caregiving situations arise to help provide quality of life and well-being. As a consequence long-term caregiving has adverse effects on caregivers and caregivers' social networks are also critically affected. For this reason the structure of caregivers' social networks is explored using the Social Network Analysis method (SNA) with a Personal Network Analysis approach (PNA). In this way the network structure was analyzed by means of the so-called centrality measures and the level of influence of the variables of the social environment surrounding a person (ego) the variables of composition of the alter attributes and their relationships were explored. Additionally the possible level of burden that a caregiver develops as a consequence of prolonged care of a dependent person was identified. This text presents the results of this analysis.