skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8830

A day at a time: caregiving on the edge in advanced COPD

Original Research

(2530) Views  (915) Full article downloads

Authors: A Catherine Simpson, Joanne Young, Margaret Donahue, et al

Published Date May 2010 Volume 2010:5 Pages 141 - 151
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S9881

A Catherine Simpson1, Joanne Young2, Margaret Donahue3, Graeme Rocker4

1Faculty of Graduate Studies, 2School of Health Sciences, 3School of Health Administration Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; 4Divisions of Respirology and Palliative Medicine, QEII Health Sciences Centre and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract: The human cost of advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for informal caregivers in Canada is mostly unknown. Formal care is episodic, and informal caregivers provide the bulk of care between exacerbations. While patients fear becoming burdensome to family, we lack relevant data against which to assess the validity of this fear. The purpose of our qualitative study was to better understand the extent and nature of ‘burden’ experienced by informal caregivers in advanced COPD. The analysis of 14 informal caregivers interviews yielded the global theme ‘a day at a time,’ reflecting caregivers’ approach to the process of adjusting/coping. Subthemes were: loss of intimate relationship/identity, disease-related demands, and coping-related factors. Caregivers experiencing most distress described greater negative impact on relational dynamics and identity, effects they associated with increasing illness demands especially care recipients’ difficult, emotionally controlling attitudes/behaviors. Our findings reflect substantial caregiver vulnerability in terms of an imbalance between burden and coping capacity. Informal caregivers provide necessary, cost-effective care for those living with COPD and/or other chronic illness. Improved understanding of the physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational factors contributing to their vulnerability can inform new chronic care models better able to support their efforts.

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), informal caregiving, vulnerability, coping








Readers of this article also read:

Clinical relevance of maximal inspiratory pressure: determination in COPD exacerbation
Burden of COPD in a government health care system: a retrospective observational study using data from the US Veterans Affairs population
Modified BODE indexes: Agreement between multidimensional prognostic systems based on oxygen uptake
Cost-effectiveness of combination fluticasone propionate–salmeterol 250/50 μg versus salmeterol in severe COPD patients
Efficacy and safety of tiotropium Respimat® SMI in COPD in two 1-year randomized studies
Changes in six-minute walking distance during pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD and in healthy subjects
Tiotropium bromide inhibits TGF-ß-induced MMP production from lung fibroblasts by interfering with Smad and MAPK pathways in vitro
Pulmonary function tests, sputum induction, and bronchial provocation tests: diagnostic tools in the challenge of distinguishing asthma and COPD phenotypes in clinical practice
Onset of action of indacaterol in patients with COPD: Comparison with salbutamol and salmeterol-fluticasone
COPD is frequent in conditions of comorbidity in patients treated with various diseases in a university hospital
  • Journal Indexing

    See where all the Dove Press journals are indexed

  • Testimonials

    "You do a tremendous job!!" Ruben Restrepo, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio