Health knowledge and difficulties experienced in caregiving: perspective of relatives of patients undergoing dialysis treatment

Abstract

Qualitative descriptive research carried out with the purpose to investigate the health knowledge relatives of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) undergoing dialysis treatment and the difficulties experienced in the caregiving process. The informants were nine family members of patients that performed dialysis treatment in a specialized institute in the city of Campo Mourão, Paraná. Their statements were analyzed according to thematic content analysis. The availability of information is configured as a necessity for family members, as evidenced by the difficulty in taking care of the patient before certain situations, however only the basic knowledge about the care of the fistula were provided to the family, by the health service. It was also found that one of the difficulties reported by caregivers was the overload in the caregiving process. Health professionals should focus on these difficulties, first and foremost the nurse, who is the strongest link between the family and service, developing intervention strategies, in order to reduce the difficulties.