Caregiver’s Burden Among Families of Hemodialysis Patient: a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The end-stage renal disease affects almost every aspect of the patients' and caregivers' lives. Several studies have been conducted to explore the experiences of family caregivers in caring for hemodialysis patients. However, a survey of the burden of family caregivers has yet to be conducted in Indonesia, a country with strong family bonds among family members. Purpose: This study aimed to identify the burden among family caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted in May 2021 on 60 family caregivers of hemodialysis patients. selected using a purposive sampling technique. Semi structured questionnaires were used to measure socio-demographic. The Caregiver Reaction Assessment-Indonesian Version (CRA-ID) was used to measure their burden. Data were analyzed using descriptive analyzes and bivariate analyzes. Results: Women represented 65% (n=39) of participants, married participants were 83.3% (n=50), and were 63.3% employed (n=38). Most of them have minimum family income (51.7%). The least common association of caregivers was the spouses of the patients (n=32, 53.3%). The analysis showed that the mean overall burden score with CRA-ID was 2.88±0.69  (ranging 1.00 to 5.00). The highest burden was the lack of family support dimension of 3.47±0.42. Caregiver burden among caregivers of patients on hemodialysis showed that the variables related to family burden were age, an education level, and family income (p-value<0,05). Conclusion: Caregivers of hemodialysis patients carry a significant burden. Interventions to provide appropriate social support to patients and increase caregivers' psychological conditions are critical.