The significance of the COVID-19 pandemic for family caregivers of non-COVID-19 patients in need of specialized palliative care at home: a qualitative study.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being
; 17(1): 2113021, 2022 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1991956
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
It is well known that being a family caregiver of a palliative patient in general is rewarding as well as burdensome. The COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated this situation. We therefore explored the significance of the COVID-19 pandemic for family caregivers of non-COVID-19 patients in need of specialized palliative care at home.METHODS:
Open-ended, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 15 family caregivers of patients treated by a specialized palliative outpatient unit in a Danish hospital. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.RESULTS:
Four themes concerning the significance of the COVID-19 pandemic were identified 1) being a family caregiver of a patient whose lifespan is already limited, 2) dealing with the risk of passing on COVID-19 oneself, 3) dealing with the risk of others passing on COVID-19 to the patient at home, and 4) living with modified specialized palliative care.CONCLUSION:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a radical impact on some family caregivers causing emotional despair. They feared not only infecting the patient with SARS-CoV-2 to cause an untimely death but also being unable to be there for the patient during hospitalization, especially in the patient's final days.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Palliative Care
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
17482631.2022.2113021
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