Profile and life experience of informal caretakers of patients with chronic disease. An exploratory study

Abstract

This is an exploratory descriptive study of quali-quantitative nature accomplished with families of chronic patients attended in a project of home assistance, developed with the objective of characterizing their caretakers, to know their opinion on the meaning of caretaking, their expectations, and knowledge on the disease. The results reveal that all of the caretakers are female who do not possess contract of employment, that they are skilled in the caretaking process, and that the types of care more frequently developed are of life maintenance and recovery of health. For them, care means love, assistance, patience, renouncement, retribution and obligation (filial and matrimonial). Taking over the caretaker's role makes people feel happy, satisfied, useful and privileged by God. However, some of them feel sad for the lack of recognition, and with some resentment due to the situation imposed by the disease. The greatest difficulties are regarding financial conditions, physical overload and obstinacy of the patient.