Quality of Life among Family Caregivers of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Abstract
Background: Family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis have a lot of great responsibilities toward their patients additional to their daily own obligations which affect their health and quality of life.
Aim of Study: To assess the quality of life among family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Material and Methods: Design: A descriptive research design was utilized in this study.
Setting: Hemodialysis unit which belongs to outpatient clinics of El-Kasr El-Aini University Hospital. Sample: A convenient sample of 130 family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis were included in the study from March to August 2017. Tool for Data Collection: Two tools were used to collect data pertinent to the study. First tool "structured family caregiver questionnaire" which consisted of two parts. First part: Questionnaire about demographic characteristics of the family caregivers. Second part: Questionnaire about demo-graphic characteristics of the patients undergoing hemodialysis. Second tool (WHOQOL Tool): Consisted of 100 questions about quality of life among family caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis cover six main domains: Physical, social, psychological, level of dependence, environmental and spiritual domains.
Results: Study results revealed that the mean WHOQOL domain scores were 34.83 for the physical domain, 73.57 for the psychological domain, 49.40 for the level of dependence domain, 37.37 for the social relationships domain, 82.55 for the environmental domain and 16.93 for the spiritual domain; There was statistical significant positive correlation found between satisfaction with own health and mean scores of physical, psychological, environmental domains (p=0.007, .003, .005 respectively) and there was statistical significant positive correlation found between own evaluation of QOL and mean scores of physical, psychological, social domains (p=0.010, .009, .005 respectively), also there was a highly statistical significant positive correlation between own eval-uation of QOL and mean scores of spiritual domain (p=.002).
Conclusion: The study concluded that, the environmental and psychological domains showed the highest scores (82.55 and 73.57, respectively), while the spiritual domain showed the lowest score 16.93.
Recommendations: The study recommended that before the beginning of dialysis therapy, health professionals should identify and explore patient' needs and potential caregiver in the family of patient and established empowerment programs to prepare them for the task to be carried out, mainly in the initial phase of their activities.