Caregiver burden in Iranian caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT

So far, limited studies have investigated the caregivers of hemodialysis patients and the concept of caregiver burden from their own perspective. The present study aimed to explore the issue of caregiver burden among family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis. A total of 21 family caregivers, patients, and formal caregivers were enrolled using the purposive sampling method. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the data. For data analysis, a directed qualitative content analysis method was applied. Finally, five dimensions of caregiver burden were extracted, including physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, financial, social, and time-dependent burdens.