Carers of the care-seekers: The lived experiences of primary caregivers of patients with stroke

Abstract

This phenomenological study was designed to develop an understanding of the lived experiences of the primary caregivers of patients with stroke to discover what their experiences are as partakers of the burden of stroke, and to know how these experiences mean to them. Participants were selected purposively, and was limited to caregivers who were at least 18 years old, and who have been a caregiver for at least 6 months. The stroke patients were those who have had stroke for at least 6 months, and are living with some form of disability. Data gathering done through in-depth interview was conducted at a tertiary healthcare This phenomenological study was designed to develop an understanding of the lived experiences of the primary caregivers of patients with stroke to discover what their experiences are as partakers of the burden of stroke, and to know how these experiences mean to them. Participants were selected purposively, and was limited to caregivers who were at least 18 years old, and who have been a caregiver for at least 6 months. The stroke patients were those who have had stroke for at least 6 months, and are living with some form of disability. Data gathering done through in-depth interview was conducted at a tertiary healthcare institution in Panabo City. The following themes, after utilizing Colaizzi's method of qualitative data analysis, were generated: Prologue: Taking Up the Mantle, The Adventure: Living the Life of a Hero, The Achilles' Heel, and Heroes Prevail, revealing that as these caregivers embodied the role of becoming a carer to patients with stroke, they considered that their experiences as primary caregivers to these patients is similar to being heroic, as they went through instances which are similar to the experiences of persons who become heroes - those experiences being: expressing hesitancy towards accepting the role of being a carer at first, learning to accept and to live with the role of being a carer afterwards, facing the challenges and hurdles of being a carer along the way, and, ultimately, overcoming these difficulties and finding meaning in being and continuing to become a carer to a care-seeker. institution in Panabo City. The following themes, after utilizing Colaizzi's method of qualitative data analysis, were generated: Prologue: Taking Up the Mantle, The Adventure: Living the Life of a Hero, The Achilles' Heel, and Heroes Prevail, revealing that as these caregivers embodied the role of becoming a carer to patients with stroke, they considered that their experiences as primary caregivers to these patients is similar to being heroic, as they went through instances which are similar to the experiences of persons who become heroes - those experiences being: expressing hesitancy towards accepting the role of being a carer at first, learning to accept and to live with the role of being a carer afterwards, facing the challenges and hurdles of being a carer along the way, and, ultimately, overcoming these difficulties and finding meaning in being and continuing to become a carer to a care-seeker.

Blaise B. Nieve

Author Details

Blaise B. Nieve, RN, PhD in Nursing (cand.), PhD in Education major in Educational Leadership, Master of Arts in Nursing with specialization in Clinical Management, Registered Nurse, Certified Medical-Surgical Nurse

Sigma Membership

Psi Beta

Type

Thesis

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Phenomenology

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Social Science, Primary Caregivers, Patients with Stroke, Panabo City, Philippines

Advisors

Concepcion C., Mary Ann

Degree

Master's

Degree Grantor

Davao Doctors College

Degree Year

2017

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2023-12-16

Full Text of Presentation

wf_yes

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS