Lifestyle of Caregivers for Older Adults in the Community of Cascol, Tosagua, Ecuador, 2025

Abstract

Caring for older adults with disabilities entails significant personal and social challenges, which motivates the need to understand how this work affects the lifestyles of those who perform it. This study aimed to characterize the personological constituents of the lifestyle of 47 caregivers from the community of Cascol, Tosagua Canton, Manabí, Ecuador, during 2025, using a descriptive and cross-sectional approach. The participants, mostly adult women and daughters of the people they care for, present a predominantly restricted and family-centered role system (89.4%), which limits their development in other personal and social spheres. Although more than half achieve a certain balance between psychosomatic, functional, sociopsychological, and spiritual activities (55.4%), their contact networks are broad but poorly functional (66%), evidencing a low level of emotional support. Time orientation focuses primarily on the future (36.2%), favoring planning, although a significant percentage lacks a clear direction. The majority achieves an average level of self-actualization (72.3%), while 23.4% report low levels, which negatively impacts their well-being. Regarding coping styles, the lack of defined strategies predominates (37.2%), followed by problem-solving-focused coping (30.2%). These findings reflect the need to strengthen caregivers' psychological and social resources to promote healthier lifestyles and prevent risks to their mental health.