Abstract
Caregivers of clients with chronic illness are vital to the individual’s plan of care, but who is caring for them? This research examined caregivers’ lived experiences and discovered themes of hopelessness, shared emotions, and sources of hope.
Primary Author and Speaker: Cynthia Sears
Additional Authors and Speakers: Emily Bishop, Shelby Blanton, Abigail Boyd, Kassie Chandley
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2021), has reported supporting caregivers as an emerging public health issue. Caregivers often neglect their own health needs, increasing their risk of illness. The aim of this research was to examine the lived experiences of caregivers of individuals with chronic illnesses to provide insights to best support them in their vital roles. A descriptive qualitative design was employed to evaluate the impacts of caregiving for an individual with chronic illness. Participants in this study were primary caregivers of family members diagnosed with chronic illnesses. In order to be eligible for this study, participants had to be actively caregiving for the individual for more than 50% of their day. A total of 4 participants were recruited for this study with 3 participants being female, and 1 participant being male. Data was collected through the completion of semi-structured interviews with caregivers. Interviews were conducted and recorded via Google Hangout and transcribed electronically. A constant comparative method (Miles & Huberman, 1994) was used to analyze transcript data. Researchers used an open, axial, and selective three-cycle coding process (Saldaña, 2013) revealing one broad category and 3 themes. The major category to which all themes relate is feelings of hopelessness are greater than feelings of hopefulness. The three themes that emerged included hopelessness grows as the caregiver role continues, caregivers share common emotions, and people and reframing mental perspectives support hopefulness. Within the field of occupational therapy, caregivers are a vital part of an individual’s plan of care. This research supports a call to action for occupational therapy practitioners to consider expanding their lens to focus on interventions to support the well-being and occupational needs of both the caregiver and the client with chronic illness.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 22). Supporting Caregivers: An emerging public health issue. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/supporting-caregivers.htm#print
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Saldaña, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.