The Lived Experience of Family Caregivers of Patients with Covid-19: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

Caring for patients with Covid-19 is a challenging issue. Not only does Covid-19 disrupt the lives of patients, it may also have an unpleasant effect on their caregivers. The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining the caregivers' lived experience of caring for a family member infected with Covid-19.

The present descriptive phenomenological study was conducted using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. Inductive and in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 caregivers of family members from April to July 2019 in Tehran.

In the present study, 17 caregivers of family members with the age range of 28 to 52 years who had the experience of directly caring for a family member infected with Covid-19 participated. Caregivers' experiences were classified into four themes and 11 sub-themes. The themes were: "heavy and dangerous care", "negative consequences", "helplessness" and "sacrifice".

The present study showed the challenges of caregivers of family members of patients with covid-19 during the epidemic period. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the situation for caregivers may become more difficult and challenging. The most important issue in such a situation can be support, which in the form of government support in the form of financial and equipment, the support of the treatment staff in the form of training and the support of close acquaintances of the caregiver can moderate the challenges raised to some extent.