Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis

BACKGROUND: Patients with a vegetative state (VS) are completely dependent on caregivers in all physical aspects of their lives. Caring for such patients comes with a great deal of difficulty for family caregivers. As a result, family caregivers must be fully trained and prepared for this role. The...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aliakbar Keykha, Monir Ramezani, Shahram Amini, Hossein Karimi Moonaghi, Azadeh Saki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2022-01-01
Series:Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=345;epage=345;aulast=Keykha
_version_ 1811180118303834112
author Aliakbar Keykha
Monir Ramezani
Shahram Amini
Hossein Karimi Moonaghi
Azadeh Saki
author_facet Aliakbar Keykha
Monir Ramezani
Shahram Amini
Hossein Karimi Moonaghi
Azadeh Saki
author_sort Aliakbar Keykha
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: Patients with a vegetative state (VS) are completely dependent on caregivers in all physical aspects of their lives. Caring for such patients comes with a great deal of difficulty for family caregivers. As a result, family caregivers must be fully trained and prepared for this role. The present qualitative study was conducted to investigate the educational challenges faced by family caregivers of VS patients for home care preparedness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present qualitative study was conducted through the conventional content analysis method from August 2020 to September 2021 in two provinces of Iran (Sistan and Baluchestan Province; and Razavi Khorasan Province). Fourteen family caregivers of patients in a VS were included in the study. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were employed to collect data. The Graneheim and Lundman method was utilized to conduct the data analysis using MAXQDA2020 software. Data collection continued until data saturation and the identification of main categories. RESULTS: As indicated by the data analysis, three categories of “unmet educational needs,” “confused caregiver,” and “searching for practical knowledge” which included 19 sub-categories described the experiences of family caregivers of patients in a VS concerning challenges they went through in preparation for patient care at home. Participants' experiences revealed that despite the inadequacy of educations provided by health-care providers on knowledge and skills required by family caregivers, they were committed to caring for the patient and trying to acquire the required knowledge. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that inadequate education and the lack of family caregivers' contribution to caring for the patient in the VS during their stay in the hospital impedes their acquisition of adequate knowledge and skill to care for patients at home. Therefore, healthcare system policymakers should be planning to eliminate the educational barriers faced by family caregivers and expand the educational activities of hospitals' homecare centers to provide educational support of family caregivers after the patient's discharge.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T06:45:01Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c92c5697685e4d31b9a0f130b8bb762f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2277-9531
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T06:45:01Z
publishDate 2022-01-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Education and Health Promotion
spelling doaj.art-c92c5697685e4d31b9a0f130b8bb762f2022-12-22T04:39:22ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Education and Health Promotion2277-95312022-01-0111134534510.4103/jehp.jehp_1647_21Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysisAliakbar KeykhaMonir RamezaniShahram AminiHossein Karimi MoonaghiAzadeh SakiBACKGROUND: Patients with a vegetative state (VS) are completely dependent on caregivers in all physical aspects of their lives. Caring for such patients comes with a great deal of difficulty for family caregivers. As a result, family caregivers must be fully trained and prepared for this role. The present qualitative study was conducted to investigate the educational challenges faced by family caregivers of VS patients for home care preparedness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present qualitative study was conducted through the conventional content analysis method from August 2020 to September 2021 in two provinces of Iran (Sistan and Baluchestan Province; and Razavi Khorasan Province). Fourteen family caregivers of patients in a VS were included in the study. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were employed to collect data. The Graneheim and Lundman method was utilized to conduct the data analysis using MAXQDA2020 software. Data collection continued until data saturation and the identification of main categories. RESULTS: As indicated by the data analysis, three categories of “unmet educational needs,” “confused caregiver,” and “searching for practical knowledge” which included 19 sub-categories described the experiences of family caregivers of patients in a VS concerning challenges they went through in preparation for patient care at home. Participants' experiences revealed that despite the inadequacy of educations provided by health-care providers on knowledge and skills required by family caregivers, they were committed to caring for the patient and trying to acquire the required knowledge. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that inadequate education and the lack of family caregivers' contribution to caring for the patient in the VS during their stay in the hospital impedes their acquisition of adequate knowledge and skill to care for patients at home. Therefore, healthcare system policymakers should be planning to eliminate the educational barriers faced by family caregivers and expand the educational activities of hospitals' homecare centers to provide educational support of family caregivers after the patient's discharge.http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=345;epage=345;aulast=Keykhacontent analysisfamily caregiversfamily caregivers' preparednesshome carequalitative researchvegetative state
spellingShingle Aliakbar Keykha
Monir Ramezani
Shahram Amini
Hossein Karimi Moonaghi
Azadeh Saki
Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis
Journal of Education and Health Promotion
content analysis
family caregivers
family caregivers' preparedness
home care
qualitative research
vegetative state
title Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis
title_full Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis
title_fullStr Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis
title_full_unstemmed Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis
title_short Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis
title_sort educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness a qualitative content analysis
topic content analysis
family caregivers
family caregivers' preparedness
home care
qualitative research
vegetative state
url http://www.jehp.net/article.asp?issn=2277-9531;year=2022;volume=11;issue=1;spage=345;epage=345;aulast=Keykha
work_keys_str_mv AT aliakbarkeykha educationalchallengesoffamilycaregiversofvegetativestatepatientsforhomecarepreparednessaqualitativecontentanalysis
AT monirramezani educationalchallengesoffamilycaregiversofvegetativestatepatientsforhomecarepreparednessaqualitativecontentanalysis
AT shahramamini educationalchallengesoffamilycaregiversofvegetativestatepatientsforhomecarepreparednessaqualitativecontentanalysis
AT hosseinkarimimoonaghi educationalchallengesoffamilycaregiversofvegetativestatepatientsforhomecarepreparednessaqualitativecontentanalysis
AT azadehsaki educationalchallengesoffamilycaregiversofvegetativestatepatientsforhomecarepreparednessaqualitativecontentanalysis