VIETNAMESE FAMILY CAREGIVER’S EXPERIENCES IN CARING FOR THEIR ELDERLY AT HOME

Quoc Dung Le1,, Thi Minh Tam Le1, Thi Thanh Truc Tran1
1 Dong Thap Medical College

Main Article Content

Abstract

Background: The aging of the Vietnamese population has been accelerating in recent years. However, there are limited studies of family caregivers’ perceptions and experiences regarding caring for elders at home in Viet Nam. Objectives: To explore family caregivers’ experiences of caring for their elderly at home within Vietnamese culture. Materials and methods: Twenty Vietnamese family caregivers participated in this study. A qualitative descriptive approach was used, along with semistructured, in-depth interviews to obtain information about Vietnamese family caregivers’ lived experiences. All transcripts and field notes were analyzed to identify derived codes, subthemes, and themes. Results: Findings on Vietnamese family caregiver experiences in caring for their elderly at home revealed six main themes: (1) family-caregiver roles in caring for elders, (2) life changes when becoming a family caregiver, (3) lack of resources to meet the needs of their elders, (4) family caregiver motives in caring for elders, (5) emotions that family caregivers commonly experience, and (6) coping strategies in caregiving. Conclusions: The study findings help to develop a better understanding of Vietnamese family caregiver experiences in caring for the elderly at home. They are instrumental in designing programs and services to support Vietnamese family caregivers and to educate nurses and nursing students about care to the Vietnamese elderly at home.

Article Details

References

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