Longitudinal family caregiving experiences in heart failure: Secondary qualitative analysis of interviews

Background: Considering the potential impacts of family caregivers on heart failure management and the costs of healthcare, health professionals need to pay attention to the challenges faced by family caregivers. Objective: This study longitudinally explored the caregiving experiences of family caregivers of persons with heart failure. Methods: Serial interview scripts collected from 53 family caregivers were analyzed using a content analysis method. Results: The following themes emerged: (1) accumulating knowledge and skills for caregiving; (2) losing a sense of control; (3) balancing an unstable life; (4) constructing illness memory; (5) centering the patient in daily life; (6) accepting the loss of a family member; (7) coping with grief by drawing on social support; (8) facing financial responsibility; and (9) rethinking hospice care. Conclusion: Family caregivers experience concern about unpredictable caregiving years, disease's fluctuating symptoms and poor prognosis. More educational opportunities, financial counseling programs, and palliative care consultations should be provided.

© This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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Work Title Longitudinal family caregiving experiences in heart failure: Secondary qualitative analysis of interviews
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Open Access
Creators
  1. Soyoung Choi
  2. Lisa Kitko
  3. Judith Hupcey
  4. Barbara Birriel
License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Elsevier BV
Publication Date September 2021
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2021.05.002
Source
  1. Heart & Lung
Deposited January 13, 2022

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  • Added Creator Lisa Kitko
  • Added Creator Judith Hupcey
  • Added Creator Barbara Birriel
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