“Going Forward”: Family Resiliency in Patients on Hemodialysis

Abstract

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis and their families are faced with significant challenges. The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of resiliency in the context of the family with hemodialysis. Naturalistic inquiry was used to elicit descriptions from 15 White patients on hemodialysis and their caregivers about what it was like to live withESRDand how they managed. Being on dialysis provides an understanding of the dialysis experience, strategies and resources represent the role of support systems and resources and the tactics the family uses to maintain and restore the well-being of the family unit, and having a positive life view encompasses the “bonadaptation” of the families as they were able to maintain the integrity of the family unit under extremely adverse conditions and continue “going forward.”

‘Doing dialysis at home’: client attitudes towards renal therapy

“…The majority of participants also modified their recommended daily fluid intake and dietary restrictions. Almost all those with little or no residual urine output found controlling their fluid intake difficult and this has also been reported by Faber (2000), White et al. (2004) and Gregory et al.…”

“…They were able to manage this to some extent by altering the timing of treatment sessions. An unpredictable variability in their general sense of well‐being following treatment, which is increasingly being recognized as significant effect of haemodialysis (Faber 2000, White et al. 2004), interfered with their ability to plan activities.…”

“…Rarely have they referred to more general influences on renal clients’ attitudes towards their condition and therapy, such as the disruption of their social lives, attitudes about gender roles or altered family dynamics (Devins et al. 1984, Brunier & McKeever 1993, White et al. 2004).…”

What happens when you involve patients as experts? a participatory action research project at a renal failure unit

“…This study focuses on chronic renal failure care as this condition often dramatically influences both the patients (Bass et al. 1999; Heiwe, Clyne, and Dahlgren 2003) and their families (White et al. 2004; Low et al.…”

“…Although patient-centredness is applicable to a wide range of conditions, it may be of the greatest importance for chronic or long-term illnesses. This study focuses on chronic renal failure care as this condition often dramatically influences both the patients (Bass et al 1999;Heiwe, Clyne, and Dahlgren 2003) and their families (White et al 2004;Low et al 2008). Previous qualitative research has shown how patients experience that their illness affects them physically with, for example, tiredness (Bass et al 1999;Ravenscroft 2005) and pain (Ashby et al 2005), and also mentally with anxiety (Bass et al 1999), low endurance (Bass et al 1999;Ravenscroft 2005) and self-guilt (Ravenscroft 2005).…”