Developing an intervention model to manage caregiver burden experienced by family caregivers of patients living with end-stage renal disease in Nigeria.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to develop and implement an intervention model to manage caregiver burden experienced by family caregivers of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease in South-West Nigeria. The model that was developed may be used by nurses to assist these family caregivers. Methodology Using an action research process, a complementary mixed-method data collection strategy explored and described the extent of caregiver burden, and described family caregivers’ experiences of caregiving. With assistance from the research team, 96 participants were selected for the quantitative aspect of the study, and 15 for the qualitative aspect. Through the cyclical nature of the action research, establishing and exploring the experiences of family caregivers later resulted in the emergence of the crucial concepts and the development of the model. The knowledge process development of Chinn and Kramer (2011) guided the development of an intervention model, and the model implementation process was facilitated by the use of an implementation checklist. Findings On measuring the caregiver burden, the family caregivers experienced moderate to severe burden in all domains of care. Family caregivers’ descriptions of their experience of family caregiving led to the identification of five categories, namely: disconnectedness with others and self; never-ending burden; “feeling like “a fool being tossed around”; obligation to care and promoting a closer relationship. The diagrammatical model to manage caregiver burden resulted from the collaboration of the research team members, and the crucial concepts emerged from the integration of the findings from the study and the interrogation of the existing literature. Model implementation was not evaluated and feedback from nurses and family caregivers indicated that they were excited that the process helped them to manage their burden as caregivers. Conclusion and recommendations Family caregivers’ need for support should be addressed when they begin caregiving, and then subsequently as they continue to provide care, so that they their health is not compromised. There is a need for the implementation and evaluation of this model to assist family caregivers cope with the challenges of prolonged caregiving.