[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.5″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb max_width=\u00bb80%\u00bb custom_margin=\u00bb||||false|false\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00bb4.16″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.5″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb text_font=\u00bbAlmarai|800|||||||\u00bb text_text_color=\u00bb#D1522A\u00bb text_font_size=\u00bb25px\u00bb header_text_color=\u00bb#D1522A\u00bb header_3_font=\u00bbPoppins||||||||\u00bb header_3_text_align=\u00bbcenter\u00bb header_3_text_color=\u00bb#000000″ header_3_font_size=\u00bb21px\u00bb header_3_line_height=\u00bb1.2em\u00bb custom_margin=\u00bb0em||||false|false\u00bb custom_padding=\u00bb0.5em||||false|false\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb]<\/p>\n
Experts consulted by Ciencia Abierta point out that when the signs of chronic stress, isolation, and cognitive difficulties experienced by caregivers go unnoticed, they themselves can end up becoming a second patient.<\/h3>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=\u00bbon\u00bb gutter_width=\u00bb2″ _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb max_width=\u00bb80%\u00bb custom_margin=\u00bb-23px|auto||auto|false|false\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00bb4.17.3″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb text_font=\u00bbPoppins|300|||||||\u00bb text_text_color=\u00bb#000000″ text_font_size=\u00bb17px\u00bb header_text_color=\u00bb#CE4F18″ header_font_size=\u00bb28px\u00bb header_3_text_color=\u00bb#CE4F18″ header_3_font_size=\u00bb1.9vw\u00bb header_3_line_height=\u00bb1.4em\u00bb text_orientation=\u00bbjustified\u00bb custom_margin=\u00bb0.5em||||false|false\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb]<\/p>\n
As Colombia\u2019s population ages rapidly and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s become more common, providing comprehensive care for older adults is emerging as one of the country\u2019s most pressing healthcare challenges.<\/p>\n
The challenge extends beyond medication, specialized care in clinics and hospitals, and training enough professionals to meet growing demand. Public health researchers are increasingly focusing on caregiver burnout, seeking to raise awareness of caregivers\u2019 vital role, recognize their efforts, and ensure they can provide care without sacrificing their own health.<\/p>\n
According to Hendrik Adrian Baracaldo Campo, professor and researcher in UNAB\u2019s Nursing program and School of Health Sciences, primary caregivers\u2014as they are known in the medical field\u2014are typically close family members, most often women, including daughters, wives, and daughters-in-law. They assume the ongoing responsibility of caring for an older adult with functional dependence, chronic illness, or cognitive impairment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe syndrome develops when the demands of caregiving exceed the caregiver\u2019s physical, emotional, financial, and social resources,\u201d says Baracaldo, who holds a master\u2019s degree in Social Gerontology and specializes in epidemiology. He adds that the choice of who becomes the caregiver is rarely the result of a healthy family consensus. Instead, \u201cthe decision is usually imposed,\u201d with the role falling to whoever is \u201cmost readily available\u201d or \u201cleast busy\u201d\u2014even if that person has health problems of their own\u2014and never with any expectation that the work should be paid.<\/p>\n
Figures released by Colombia\u2019s National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) in 2023 show that of the country\u2019s 6.8 million full-time caregivers, 5.8 million are women (85.7%) and 972,000 are men (14.3%). In addition, 54.3% of female caregivers and 31.4% of male caregivers receive no pay or have no source of income.<\/p>\n
According to Olga Luc\u00eda G\u00f3mez D\u00edaz, director of UNAB\u2019s Nursing program, these figures reveal a pronounced gender gap that reflects \u201ca longstanding social and historical expectation that the responsibility for caring for others falls on wives, daughters, or sisters.\u201d As an expert in health services administration with a master\u2019s degree in Education, she explains that many women feel caregiving is an unavoidable duty that must take precedence over their own lives.<\/p>\n
The regional picture mirrors the national one. A study carried out by Bucaramanga\u2019s Health Secretariat and Health Institute in partnership with UNAB between 2022 and 2023 surveyed 1,133 older adults in the city and found that caregiving has a distinctly female face: 65.5% of caregivers were women from the lowest socioeconomic strata (strata 1 and 2, on Colombia\u2019s 1\u20136 scale), while 77% reported never having received any training in how to provide care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe frequently encounter older adults caring for other older adults who, already made vulnerable by age, are carrying responsibilities beyond their physical capacity. In this study, we met a young man with cognitive developmental disabilities who could barely speak or move, yet there was no one else at home to help care for his family member. He told us he didn\u2019t know how to handle the patient and that on one occasion, while lifting him, he accidentally injured him because the patient\u2019s skin was so fragile,\u201d recalls Professor Baracaldo, who is also a member of the Colombian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.<\/p>\n
When the Strain Goes Unnoticed<\/h3>\n
G\u00f3mez D\u00edaz warns that older adults who become caregivers may face an even higher risk of mortality than the person they are caring for, largely because of increased use of sleep medications and the development of stress-related cardiovascular disease.
Baracaldo says persistent fatigue, irritability, anxiety, sadness, feelings of guilt, social isolation, sleep disturbances, physical pain, and difficulty managing daily responsibilities are all warning signs that families should learn to recognize.<\/p>\n
G\u00f3mez adds that caregivers often lose interest in the world around them and begin to withdraw socially. Many also experience chronic fatigue, muscle pain, headaches, and persistent feelings of guilt. Families often dismiss their irritability or bad mood without realizing that these behaviors are cries for help from a nervous system under prolonged stress. \u201cSometimes, when someone offers to help, the caregiver replies, \u2018No, it\u2019s my responsibility.\u2019 That often leads others to conclude, \u2018They don\u2019t want any help.\u2019 Gradually, the caregiver starts rejecting assistance, convinced that no one else can do the job as well as they can\u2014and that only speeds up their physical and emotional exhaustion,\u201d G\u00f3mez concludes.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb background_color=\u00bb#fcf5ea\u00bb custom_padding=\u00bb1em|1em|1em|1em|true|true\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb hover_enabled=\u00bb0″ locked=\u00bboff\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb sticky_enabled=\u00bb0″]<\/p>\n
\u201cWe Must Care for Those Who Cared for Us\u201d<\/h4>\n
Katherine Prado Guzm\u00e1n, professor and researcher in UNAB\u2019s Psychology program and an expert in neuropsychology, explains\u2014from a preventive perspective\u2014the importance of recognizing the signs of caregiver burnout and the urgency of humanizing care.<\/p>\n
Why is the role of the primary caregiver so prone to burnout?<\/strong> What are the physical and emotional signs that indicate someone is suffering from this syndrome?<\/strong> What arguments does the family use when it comes to delegating care to one of its members?<\/strong> What risks are involved when an older adult cares for others?<\/strong> How can we preserve the patient\u2019s dignity without undermining the caregiver\u2019s quality of life?<\/strong> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_column type=\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb][et_pb_image src=\u00bbhttps:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/eng-info-cuidador.png\u00bb title_text=\u00bbeng-info-cuidador\u00bb align=\u00bbcenter\u00bb _builder_version=\u00bb4.27.7″ _module_preset=\u00bbdefault\u00bb hover_enabled=\u00bb0″ global_colors_info=\u00bb{}\u00bb sticky_enabled=\u00bb0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Editor. Social Communicator and Journalist, with a Master\u2019s Degree in Political Science and a Specialization in Education for New Technologies. publicaciones@unab.edu.coExperts consulted by Ciencia Abierta point out that when the signs of chronic stress, isolation, and cognitive difficulties experienced by caregivers go unnoticed, they themselves can end up becoming a second patient.As Colombia\u2019s population ages […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-issue-11"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2401"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2408,"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2401\/revisions\/2408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Primary caregivers take on the responsibility of supporting someone who has lost their independence and needs help with everyday activities. Because this role often goes unrecognized\u2014with no set schedule, vacation time, or days off\u2014it can affect every area of a person\u2019s life.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/unab.edu.co\/cienciaabierta\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cuidador-sal.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
We\u2019re talking about physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects. Sleep patterns and self-care habits change, weight fluctuates, and caregivers often become more sedentary and stressed. From my neuropsychological perspective, we begin to see cognitive difficulties. It\u2019s not that they\u2019re experiencing neurodegenerative decline, but if we compare a caregiver\u2019s cognitive profile with the results of neuropsychological assessments and with the caregiver\u2019s own account, we see mental fatigue, frequent forgetfulness, difficulty making decisions, and an inability to organize medical appointments, manage medication, or carry out household tasks.<\/p>\n
The reasons are usually related to work and other commitments. In other words, the most common refrain is \u201cI don\u2019t have time,\u201d and that\u2019s very hard to hear, even though the discussion is about protecting someone important to the family. The argument \u201csince you don\u2019t work, you should do it\u201d is very common\u2014in other words, this isn\u2019t recognized as formal, paid work, although our research has found that a minimal percentage-based payment is sometimes provided. It\u2019s justified with statements like \u201cI don\u2019t know them as well as you do,\u201d \u201cyou\u2019re their favorite,\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t have the skills to care for them.\u201d The truth is that, even though many people don\u2019t like caring for the sick, we must be there for those who were there for us (grandparents, parents, or aunts and uncles). It\u2019s an act that acknowledges what they did for us, and it\u2019s an act of love.<\/p>\n
They are already going through their own aging process; their physical abilities won\u2019t be the same, nor will the way they process information. Their ability to handle many tasks changes, and what will happen when this other person can no longer care for their spouse, and a caregiver is needed\u2014not just for one person, but for two? That\u2019s the reality.<\/p>\n
We must view the patient as a person with rights and values, not as a burden. It\u2019s a common mistake to exclude them, because they are valuable. From the very moment of diagnosis, both family members and the healthcare system contribute to a process of exclusion. We must remember that we are caring for a person and make the most of every opportunity to help them feel as comfortable as possible.<\/p>\n