Initial experiences of family caregivers of survivors of a traumatic brain injury

Abstract

BackgroundThere seems to be a paucity of research on the initial subjective experiences of family caregivers of survivors of a traumatic brain injury (TBI).ObjectiveTo explore the challenges that family caregivers face during the initial stages of recovery of a relative who has sustained a TBI.MethodsThematic analysis was used to explore the findings from semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 12 female family caregivers of relatives who had sustained a TBI.ResultsFamily caregivers recalled their initial experiences of the shock at hearing the news about their relative’s TBI, negative experiences in hospital and frustrating interactions with healthcare professionals as particularly challenging.ConclusionThe findings of this study emphasise caregivers’ need for support, information and psycho-education, especially from healthcare professionals, from the very beginning stages of recovery from a TBI. Practical and physical needs with regard to admission to and care in the hospital were also highlighted. This research will hopefully contribute to creating awareness amongst healthcare professionals on how they can contribute to improvement of the services provided by the healthcare system based on the experiences of the caregivers who participated in this study.

Family caregivers' perceptions and experiences regarding caring for older adults with chronic diseases

“…Accordingly, the family caregivers' religion was perceived as an enabler for enhancing their quality of life and ability to cope with the demands of their caregiver role. The current findings concur with those of previous studies which reported that prayer seemed to be a facilitator for communication with God to assist the growth of good attributes such as patience, compassion, strength and love as well as to sustain their internal healing and acceptance of their challenges 29,30,31,32 . This was perhaps related to the fact that the caregivers were grounded in Christian and Muslim religions which assisted them to have resilience, to persevere and to find meaning within their responsibilities.…”

Effect of Support Group Approach on Behavior, Stress, and Coping Factors Among the Family Caregivers of Head Injury Survivors

“…Also, 90% of the caregivers had disturbed sleeping patterns with moderate stress. 16 In a US based study by Broodryk et al (2015) on the "Initial experiences of family caregivers of survivors of a traumatic brain injury," the importance of supporting caregivers for HI patients was emphasized from the starting stages of recovery, as the caregivers have had a very negative and frustrating experiences with hospital and with health care professionals. Present study focused on the importance of providing information and psychological support to caregivers by arranging frequent group meetings of available caregivers during their hospital stay.…”

“…This all ultimately led to positive caregiving experience. 17 Another study has stated that if attention is not given to the caregivers, the health care system may results in psychological or health problems. Lack of social support leads to disturbances in family and their relationships suffer a lot.…”

“…WhatsApp group of the caregivers in the experimental group was also formed, so that they remain in touch with each other and discuss their problems and find solutions even after discharge. 17 Reddy et al ( 2012) assessed the effect of family intervention package on caregivers of patient with traumatic brain injuries in India. The family intervention Program consisted of teaching the family members by conducting regular group sessions.…”

“…This scale consists of a set of ten questions which are divided into three categories including caregiving, family, and financial issues, using a 5-point rating scale, where 1 = no stress and 5 = extreme stress, indicating the extent of stress among caregivers on these issues. The total score is 50 which was then calculated and classified as mild (< 16), moderate (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), and severe (> 24) stress. The higher the score, the higher is the stress.…”