Caregivers’ perception of the experience of caring for family members and the relationship with the professional team in the context of hospitalization

Abstract

The presence of caregiver/relatives in the hospital enhances the patients’ improvement. However, it may also expose the caregivers to complex situations of frailty and vulnerability. Objective: to understand and analyze the caregivers’ perception of the experience of caring for family members and their relationships with the professional team in the context of hospitalization. Methods: qualitative exploratory study, conducted through transcribed interview and documentary research between August 2014 and July 2016. For the analysis, the Discourse of the Collective Subject method was adopted. Results: 22 caregivers participated, mostly women over 60 years of age. Half (11) of these caregivers had some professional activity, and 13.63% (3) interrupted them to care for the sick relatives. The Discourses of the Collective Subject indicated emotional distress and physical overload in the caregivers due to the accompaniment to the family member under hospitalization; caregivers acknowledged the team’s actions; however, they described difficulties in understanding the guidelines offered. Conclusion: we indicated the need for devising management and care strategies directed to caregivers, to ensure partnership in patients’ care and access of family members to a humanized care.