Abstract: TH-PO877
Burden on Caregiver and Risks of Patients in Peritoneal Dialysis
Session Information
- Peritoneal Dialysis - I
November 02, 2017 | Location: Hall H, Morial Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Category: Dialysis
- 608 Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors
- Mulè, Marica, Università Cattolica, Milano, Italy
- Vizzardi, Valerio, University and Spedali Civili, Brescia (BS), Italy
- Bertoni, Anna, Università Cattolica, Milano, Italy
- Molgora, Sara, Università Cattolica, Milano, Italy
- Sandrini, Massimo, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
Background
This qualitative research aims to assess the psychological aspects about the caregivers of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Peritoneal Dialysis (PD). This study has two goals: to observe the role of caregiver in PD; to compare fatigues, resources of dialysis team, patients and partners.
Methods
Two Focus Groups have been conducted: The first one with PD team and the second one with patients and their caregivers. Focus Groups were videotaped and transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using the textual analysis software T-LAB. It has been performed a thematic analysis of elementary contexts.
Results
The thematic analysis implemented overall corpus of interviews showed a four-cluster solution. Clusters identify four thematic areas about PD team, patients and caregivers perceptions. We labeled these cluster respectively: “The relationship: the best possible support”; “Burden caregiver”; “Patient and Caregiver engagement” and “Quality of life in CKD”. Clusters explain respectively 32,3%, 27,3%, 25% and 15,4% of the data variance. For the first aim the analysis showed as the caregiver is the best resource for the PD team and for the patients. In addition, the analysis shows as one of the possible risks of peritoneal dialysis that the caregiver feels more responsibility and fatigues than the patient does. This could bring the caregiver towards the burnout and dehumanizing behavior. In fact the CKD seems removing the patient freedom and looks like a cage for the caregiver. Regarding the second aim the clusters evidence as strength the relationship as the best chance in process of care in CKD. The greatest difficulty for PD team is recognizing when the caregiver becomes a “patient” and when the caregiver is a resource. In the same way the most fatigue for the caregivers is to recognize their role and their limits in patient caring. Last but not least the most difficult challenge for patients is going beyond their demotivation to be engaged in the care process.
Conclusion
The study shows as the CKD is a couple matter and a daily challenge for PD team. All clusters concern the burden caregiver may be one possible factor contributing to poor quality of life and depression in both family and patients.