Conceptions of life situation among next-of-kin of haemodialysis patients.
The presence of renal disease in a family is a strain on both the patient and the next-of-kin, affecting their life situations. Surprisingly, few studies dealing with the ways that the next-of-kin experience their situation are available. The aim of this study was to describe how the next-of-kin of haemodialysis patients conceive their life situation. Data were collected by interviewing 12 people who live with someone with dialysis-treated renal disease and analysed according to a qualitative method inspired by the phenomenographic approach. Six description categories of how the subjects construed their life situation emerged: a feeling of confinement; a feeling of social isolation; a feeling that the way of life has changed; a feeling of security in life; a feeling of a threatening future; and promoting health. The next-of-kin generally expressed a large degree of commitment to and concern for the sick person. In spite of their life situation having been dramatically changed, the next-of-kin described an ability to adapt. With the help of society the feelings of confinement and social isolation can be dispersed, enabling the next-of-kin to promote the health of the sick person. A suggestion for further research is to study what adaptation strategies next-of-kin use in their life situation.
Ziegert
K
K
School of Social and Health Sciences, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden. Kristina.Ziegert@hos.hh.se
Fridlund
B
B
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012934:Social Isolation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload