Caring for patients with end-stage renal disease during COVID-19 lockdown: What (additional) challenges to family caregivers?
INTRODUCTION
Caring for a patient with end-stage renal disease undergoing in-centre haemodialysis can be a stressful experience, likely to involve significant burden. Within the context of the new coronavirus pandemic, these patients are highly vulnerable to infection by COVID-19, which might increase the care demands and burden of family caregivers.


AIM
This study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of family caregivers of non-COVID-19 patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing in-centre haemodialysis during the COVID-19 lockdown.


STUDY DESIGN
A qualitative study was performed with a purposive sample.


METHODS
Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 19 family caregivers (50.7 ± 14 years old) of patients undergoing in-centre haemodialysis in April 2020.


FINDINGS
Four major themes were identified: (1) emotional distress; (2) changes in caregiving responsibilities; (3) educational and supportive needs; and (4) coping strategies to deal with the outbreak and with the lockdown.


DISCUSSION
The findings suggest that family caregivers of patients undergoing in-centre haemodialysis have to manage several additional care responsibilities due to COVID-19 lockdown. The dialysis team should consider the development of educational and supportive interventions to meet family caregivers' needs, mitigate emotional distress, fears and concerns, and prevent caregiver burden during the COVID-19 pandemic.
['Sousa|Helena|H|', 'Frontini|Roberta|R|', 'Ribeiro|Oscar|O|', 'Paúl|Constança|C|', 'Costa|Elísio|E|', 'Amado|Leonilde|L|', 'Miranda|Vasco|V|', 'Ribeiro|Fernando|F|', 'Figueiredo|Daniela|D|https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3160-7871']
end-stage renal disease COVID-19 family caregivers haemodialysis coronavirus qualitative study