Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Førde, Norway.
Health Science, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Care, Molde University College Specialized University in Logistics, Molde, Norway.
Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2023 Dec;18(1):2236373. doi: 10.1080/17482631.2023.2236373.
To gain knowledge regarding family caregivers of home-dwelling older adults with mental health problems and the meaning-making of the caregiver's role.
An explorative qualitative study involving narrative analysis.
Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted among eight adult children. Interview data were analysed using narrative analysis. The reporting adhered to consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies.
Each participant narrated unique and nuanced stories of the caregiver role, but their stories also revealed prominent themes across participants' experiences and meaning-making. The analysis revealed three themes: family relationships through a long life, a demanding and difficult caregiver role, and reconstructing the caregiver's role by leaving the responsibility to healthcare services.
Family caregivers experienced the role as purposeful and demanding. Mostly, psychological reactions to behaviour symptoms and duration of caregiving were considered difficult and demanding. They described that they lacked knowledge of the illness and how to perform care. Sharing care responsibility with healthcare services had the potential to ease family caregivers' burden. However, based on a long life as caregivers, some experienced difficulties when reconstructing and adjusting the role to their life situation.
了解家庭照顾者对居家精神健康问题老年人的照顾情况以及照顾者角色的意义建构。
一项涉及叙事分析的探索性定性研究。
对 8 名成年子女进行了半结构化的个体访谈。使用叙事分析对访谈数据进行分析。报告遵循定性研究的综合标准。
每个参与者都讲述了独特而微妙的照顾者角色故事，但他们的故事也揭示了参与者经历和意义建构中的突出主题。分析揭示了三个主题：通过漫长的生活建立的家庭关系、要求苛刻且困难的照顾者角色，以及通过将责任交给医疗保健服务来重建照顾者的角色。
家庭照顾者认为自己的角色是有目的和要求苛刻的。大多数情况下，他们对行为症状和照顾时间的心理反应被认为是困难和苛刻的。他们表示自己缺乏对疾病的了解以及如何进行护理。与医疗保健服务分担照顾责任有减轻家庭照顾者负担的潜力。然而，基于作为照顾者的漫长生活，一些人在重建和调整角色以适应自己的生活状况时遇到了困难。
