Study on the caregivers' burden and social support among primary caregivers of kidney recipients

Abstract

Caring for a person who is undergoing a serious health problem or in the state of recovering from a health issue is a tiresome task for any other individual. Most people who take care of such people are close family members. They have to spend a potential proportion of their day/time with the patients by helping them in all aspects, including medication, personal care, and hygiene. The care process brings potential psychological and physical health issues to the caregivers, especially the primary caregiver, who is supposed to spend most of the time with the patients. In the currently available literature, it is evident that primary caregivers undergo severe psychological and psychosocial issues. The case is crucial in the context of the caregivers of organ recipients. In this context, the present study explored the social support and caregiving burden of primary caregivers of kidney recipients. The study was conducted among the primary care givers of kidney recipients from kidney patient associations in northern Kerala. The total sample of the present study was a hundred. The data was collected through interviews using two standardized scales.