Vivencias, expectativas y demandas de cuidadoras informales de pacientes en procesos de enfermedad de larga duración

Abstract

Objectives To determine informal caregivers’ opinions and experiences of providing care and their expectations and needs concerning professional nurses who make home visits. Method A qualitative study was carried out in 1999 in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. Participants: Female homecarers of terminally-ill patients with cancer or AIDS and elderly persons with dementia. Strategies for obtaining information: indepth interviews and discussion groups. The content analysis used Virginia Henderson's model as a framework. Results In the caregivers’ statements, six types of care that they carried out related to hygiene, food, excretion, mobility, wound care, and medicine administration were identified. The caregivers were satisfied with professional nurses’ technical and communication skills. However, their satisfaction with the number of visits and their own training was low. They requested training courses in specific skills (wound care, diet) and in prevention and health (postural changes, mobility exercises). Conclusions The tasks carried out by the caregivers are physically and emotionally demanding, and caregivers frequently lack the required technical skills. To improve home care services, visits should be more frequent and caregivers’ training should be up-graded.