Family issues in home‐based care

Abstract

In Australia, home-based care for the chronically ill is increasing. Technological advances and increased economic constraints are often cited as the reasons for the increase in home-based treatments. Exploring the development of home-based care, in particular home-based dialysis, using a case-study approach provided an opportunity to identify the issues of families involved in home care. Issues that emerged included: (i) the development of the home-based clinic; (ii) the role of women; (iii) social isolation; (iv) and the lack of effective support from general practitioners and health services.

Creating spaces in intensive care for safe communication: a video-reflexive ethnographic study

“…Such spatial soft solutions have been observed in other ethnographic studies in creative uses of patient bedside tables and beds in space-restricted wards,18 and through careful organisation of the home environment in home-based dialysis care 19. This process also shares similarities to the human factors approach; in particular, an emphasis on understanding how the environment and broader systems interact with individuals to produce behaviours,20 as well as a focus away from individual error and training alone as causes and solutions to safety problems 21.…”

The impact of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on close persons: a literature review

“…For those who took time to have a break from their carer responsibilities, there were health benefits [31]. Other issues that close persons reported included isolation through the loss of social activity [30–36], life restrictions [36–38], increased workload, negative economic consequences [39,40], changed relationship with the patient [30,34] and sexual problems for spouses [41]. …”

Living with an adult family member using advanced medical technology at home

“…Still, they would recommend it to others, because most of the time it was manageable. Wives of patients on home dialysis in Australia adopted the role of informal care-giver because of their sense of marital obligation (Wellard and Street 1999). However, none of them had been asked about their willingness to assume such a role.…”