The challenges characterizing the lived experience of caregiving. A qualitative study in the field of spinal cord injury

Abstract

Study design Qualitative exploratory study. Objectives To explore the lived experience of SCI caregivers, with a focus on the challenges of their role. Setting Caregivers of people with SCI living in the community in Switzerland. Methods Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was performed. Results The sample included 22 participants (16 women, 15 life partners) with a mean age of 61 years who had been caregivers for an average of 18 years. Caregiving in SCI seemed to be characterized by two phases. The first phase was relatively short and was central to becoming a caregiver; it was marked by challenges related to adjusting to the role of caregiver (e.g., dealing with shock, feeling unprepared). The second phase is lifelong and is characterized by a number of recurrent challenges related to balancing caregiving and personal life (e.g., having to prioritize caregiving over personal wishes, negotiating tasks and workload). Challenges related to lacking appropriate housing, facing financial uncertainty and dealing with bureaucracy were noted during both phases. Caregivers had to deal with these challenges to stay in step with life changes and newly emerging needs. Conclusions Informal caregivers have a major role in supporting people with SCI. But their needs are not static. Any strategy to empower them has to adapt to an evolving role characterized by multiple tasks and challenges. A functional relationship between caregivers and care recipients is based on the recognition of their individualities and the different phases of adaptation, which is also an enriching process.

Exploring caregivers’ perceptions of community-based service requirements of patients with spinal cord injury: a qualitative study

“…It has been reported that spinal cord injuries may ensue psychological problems such as emotional shock, depression, fear of future, loss of dignity, lack of self-care, loss of job, failure to continue education, loss of financial support by monetary institutions, and being deprived of social support [ 34 , 35 ]. Therefore, continuous professional care should be provided to prevent these patients from developing physical and psychological complications.…”

Fighting for recovery on multiple fronts: The past, present, and future of clinical trials for spinal cord injury

“…However, this is a difficult question to answer. It is clear that the expressed needs and priorities change from person to person, and are dependent on a variety of factors such as injury level, severity, and time after injury (i.e., acute or chronic) (Glass et al, 1991 ; Anderson, 2004 ; Simpson et al, 2012 ; Trezzini and Phillips, 2014 ; Zanini et al, 2021 ).…”

Factor Analysis Affecting Degree of Depression in Family Caregivers of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

“…In this study, 63.3% of family caregivers under the age of 60 were women (80%), and the nature of the relationship with the SCI patient was as a spouse (63.3%), child (13.3%), or parent (10.0%). In many overseas studies [ 24 , 25 , 26 ], family caregivers were mostly women and spouses. These characteristics can be related to the characteristics of patients with SCI with a lower onset age compared to other chronic diseases and a higher frequency of accidents, such as falls or crushing trauma at work [ 17 ].…”