The meaning of the caregiving experience according to Lebanese family caregivers providing home-support for stroke survivors

Résumé 0

Introduction: Six million deaths are currently caused by stroke , while stroke survivors depend on the home-support provided by their caregivers. Background: As the literature notes, these caregivers encounter both challenges and feelings of satisfaction, encouraging them to resort to adaptation strategies in order to cope with their care situation. Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe and understand the experience of Lebanese family caregivers who provide home-support for a relative who has survived a stroke. Method: Using the phenomenological approach devised by Giorgi (1997), twelve interviews were conducted with six family caregivers who were recruited through a rehabilitation center in Beirut. Results: Eight themes have emerged from the phenomenological analysis: the burden felt by the family caregiver, the missing social support, the learning process through his/her experience as a family caregiver, the contribution made to caring for the survivor, the selfless nature of the act of caregiving, the feeling of gratitude associated with caregiving, familiarization with new routines, and becoming accustomed to a new lifestyle. The core essence of this phenomenological analysis is the sense of satisfaction induced by taking care of the stroke survivor through facing up to challenges and bringing order to the chaos caused by the stroke. Conclusion: The knowledge gained from this study allows nurses to identify family caregivers who are at risk in order to help them to adapt to their new role as caregivers, and to develop health promotion strategies, taking into consideration their experience.