Dadashi-Tonkaboni Niloofar, Mahdizadeh Mehrsadat, Peyman Nooshin, Gholamnia-Shirvani Zeinab, Tehrani Hadi
Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
BMC Nurs. 2024 Nov 4;23(1):801. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02468-w.
Understanding the motivations driving family members to continue caring for individuals with Alzheimer's disease is crucial for enhancing social support programs within community health systems. This study specifically explores the factors influencing Iranian family caregivers' ability to persist in their caregiving roles.
This qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis with 22 participants in 2022 in Babol (a city in northern Iran). The inclusion criteria for the study included caregivers of Alzheimer's patients who had been the primary caregivers for at least one year for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The sampling method was purposive, ensuring maximum variation in social position, demographic status, and stages of Alzheimer's disease after the onset of symptoms. In this research, data were collected from caregivers of Alzheimer's patients through semi-structured interviews and in-depth individual interviews. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software.
One category and four subcategories were identified to explain the continuity of the caring role in family caregivers of Alzheimer's patients. The category was "on the Fence of the Caring Role." The subcategories included Commitment to Care (Being Determined, Being Indebted, Feeling Dutiful), Coercion to Care (Giving in to the Caring Role Due to Family Requirements, Patient Care Due to Financial Problems), Socio-Cultural Beliefs and Concerns (Spiritual and Religious Tendencies, Social Stigma and Social Fears), and Attachment and Love for the Patient (Feeling Pity, Feeling Nostalgia for Kinship).
Family caregivers are deeply engaged in their roles, often feeling trapped by various pressures. Recognizing these dimensions can inform policymakers and health practitioners in developing targeted interventions, such as respite care programs, financial support, and community resources, aimed at alleviating caregiver burden and enhancing the quality of care for patients. By addressing the complexities of the caregiver experience, effective strategies can be implemented to support both patients and their caregivers, ultimately improving health outcomes within the community.
了解促使家庭成员继续照顾阿尔茨海默病患者的动机对于加强社区卫生系统中的社会支持项目至关重要。本研究具体探讨影响伊朗家庭照顾者持续承担照顾角色能力的因素。
本定性研究于2022年在伊朗北部城市巴博勒对22名参与者采用常规内容分析法进行。该研究的纳入标准包括阿尔茨海默病患者的照顾者，这些照顾者作为主要照顾者已为确诊患有阿尔茨海默病的患者照顾至少一年。抽样方法是有目的的，确保在社会地位、人口统计学状况以及症状出现后阿尔茨海默病的阶段方面有最大程度的差异。在本研究中，通过半结构化访谈和深入的个人访谈从阿尔茨海默病患者的照顾者那里收集数据。使用MAXQDA软件对数据进行分析。
确定了一个类别和四个子类别来解释阿尔茨海默病患者家庭照顾者照顾角色的持续性。该类别为“处于照顾角色的两难境地”。子类别包括照顾承诺（下定决心、心怀感激、尽责）、照顾的强迫性（因家庭要求而接受照顾角色、因经济问题照顾患者）、社会文化信念和担忧（精神和宗教倾向、社会耻辱感和社会恐惧）以及对患者的依恋和爱（感到怜悯、怀念亲情）。
家庭照顾者全身心投入其角色，常常感到被各种压力所困。认识到这些方面可以为政策制定者和卫生从业者提供信息，以制定有针对性的干预措施，如临时护理项目、经济支持和社区资源，旨在减轻照顾者负担并提高患者的护理质量。通过解决照顾者经历的复杂性，可以实施有效的策略来支持患者及其照顾者，最终改善社区内的健康结果。
