Caregivers' Experiences Caring for Spouses with Left Ventricular Assist Devices-destination Therapy
Open Access
Author:
Foight, Piper Anne
Area of Honors:
Nursing
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Judith E Hupcey, Thesis Supervisor Harleah Graham Buck, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
heart failure LVAD caregiver
Abstract:
Background: Heart Failure is one of the most expensive diagnoses in the world, and there is not treatment, to date. More and more, Left Ventricular Assistive Devices (LVADs) are used as destination therapy to help increase patients’ quality of life in end-stage heart failure. There is not much information on how caregivers experience this change when their spouses receive an LVAD.
Purpose: To understand the informal caregivers’ experiences of taking care of heart failure patients with Left Ventricular Assistive Devices.
Methods: This was a descriptive, exploratory study, and a secondary thematic analysis of data. The final sample size was 10 caregivers who took surveys and completed a semi-structured phone interview lasting 45-60 minutes.
Results: There were eight themes that emerged from the interviews. These themes were: burden placed on the caregiver, caregivers’ perception of improved health after the LVAD was placed in the patient, increased family support, reference to life in the long-term context, caregiver’s preparedness for care, change in caregiver role, sacrifice on the end of the caregiver, and religious beliefs helping the caregiver.
Conclusions: It was concluded from this secondary analysis that the placement of an LVAD improves patient outcomes and caregivers feel betters the patients health. Patient education should include teaching about long-term expectations of LVAD therapy.