Abstract
Background: End-stage renal failure is a chronic disease routinely treated with hemodialysis. Hemodialysis is the disease’s only available treatment in Jordan; it is a life-long treatment that imposes burdens on patients and their caregivers. Most patients have unpaid family caregivers who do a variety of tasks and so become increasingly burdened, occupied with those tasks, and unable to participate in activities of interest to them. Aim: The goal of this study is to explore the experience of caregivers of patients 65 years and older receiving hemodialysis in order to understand the burdens of this specific population. Methods: The study subjects were the caregivers of patients who received outpatient hemodialysis at one outpatient hemodialysis center in the capital city of Amman, Jordan. A total number of nine caregivers were included in the study. The caregivers’ ages ranged from 35 to 65, averaging 50 years old, but the patients were above 65 years old. An interview guide with semi-structured questions and Colaizzi's strategy of descriptive phenomenological data analysis were used. Result: The majority of caregiver subjects reported social isolation, health problems, and little time for self-care. Factors alleviating caregiver burdens included faith in God, participating in religious practices and venting of feelings. Conclusions: Identification of caregiver burdens and of coping strategies should help healthcare professionals understand the caregivers’ burdens and identify their needs by patients receiving hemodialysis to relieve their psychosocial and physical burdens.
Highlights
Dialysis is a lifelong treatment for end stage renal disease (ESRD) associated with physical and psychosocial challenges that affect the patients and family members who care for them [1,2]
The participants included 4 men and 5 women; their educational levels included 4 with a bachelor’s degrees and 5 with a community college education; two caregivers were employed, one was single, eight were married, and three had children living in the house; the average time they had cared for the patients was 2.5 years
Statements pertaining to caregiver burdens and coping strategies were extracted from the data
Summary
Dialysis is a lifelong treatment for end stage renal disease (ESRD) associated with physical and psychosocial challenges that affect the patients and family members who care for them [1,2]. Some studies have documented how caregivers’ responses to the needs of chronically ill family members at home have adversely affected multiple aspects of their lives, including their stress level, family relationships and social lives in general [4]. The adverse consequences for caregiving include the amount of time and effort they need to provide the caregiving recipient with psychosocial support, which includes coordination of care, illnessrelated financial management, mobility, and household tasks [5,6]. Most patients have unpaid family caregivers who do a variety of tasks and so become increasingly burdened, occupied with those tasks, and unable to participate in activities of interest to them
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
