The Perception of Caregivers of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease using Extended Home Oxygen Therapy

Abstract

Introduction: Prolonged home oxygen therapy presents physical, emotional and psychosocial barriers for users and caregivers. Objective: To know the perception of caregivers about caring for a patient using the PDO. Method: Qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 caregivers of users of prolonged home oxygen therapy, followed up in a specialized outpatient clinic in a city in the interior of Brazil. The interviews were assessed using the “Bardin Content Analysis”. The Caregiver Burden Scale was applied to measure the subjective impact of chronic diseases on caregivers' lives. Results: Participants have an average age of 63 years, 11 of whom are female, literate, with an average daily care time of 19 hours and an average of 2.7 years dedicated to care. The Caregiver Burden Scale's most overburdened category was the environment. From the content analysis, four categories emerged: “Strengths of care”; “Care challenges”; "Emotional, social and daily changes as a result of care" and "Changes in the caregiver's family relationship". Conclusion: It is important to plan comprehensive health actions that can minimize the negative effects resulting from the work overload experienced by caregivers and improve patients' adherence to treatment.