Objective: To describe the difficulties experienced by the family caregiver in the process of caring for people who live with a chronic disease. Methods: Descriptive qualitative study carried out in a basic health unit in the city of Belo Horizonte. Inclusion criteria were being an informal family caregiver of persons older than 18 years classified as dependent according to the Barthel Index. Twenty-five interviews, intermediated by the community health workers of the basic health unit, were conducted with the caregivers, who were. Results: After analyzing the data collected, we identified that the difficulties of family caregivers are related to being able to reconcile their own routine activities with the needs of the dependent person and the overload generated by the dependence process, which is enhanced by the lack of other people to take turns in providing care. Conclusion: In order to provide care, family caregivers need information, psychological and financial assistance. In this context, the health system is flawed since it excludes caregivers' comprehensive care from public health policies. Nursing has a crucial role in this reality, since it has the necessary tools to bring the family caregiver closer to the health services, thus remedying the difficulties faced by them.

Author Name: Ana Clara Martins Santos Maia, Bárbara Vieira Oliveira Silva, Livia Cozer Montenegro, Adriano Marçal Pimenta, Marcus Luciano Tavares Oliveira

URL: View PDF

Keywords: Nursing; Family Nursing; Chronic Disease; Primary Health Care; Caregivers; Home nursing.

ISSN: 2596-0342

EISSN: 2596-0342

EOI/DOI:

Add Citation Views: 1

---