The Challenges of Caring for Kidney Transplant Recipients from the Perspective of Home Caregivers: A Content Analysis

Background: Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease, yet its long-term success depends heavily on sustained post-transplant care. Much of this responsibility falls on family members who serve as home caregivers.Aim: This study aimed to explore and describe the challenges experienced by home caregivers of kidney transplant recipients from their lived perspectives using a qualitative content analysis approach.Method: A qualitative study with a conventional content analysis design was conducted in Urmia, Iran. Eighteen primary home caregivers of adult kidney transplant recipients were recruited through purposive sampling from transplant clinics and follow-up centers. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in Persian. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively using the Graneheim and Lundman method. MAXQDA software was used for data management.Results: Analysis revealed one overarching theme, “A Vortex of Enduring Burdens,” reflecting the cyclical and overwhelming nature of caregiving. This theme comprised four main categories: (۱) The Overwhelming Weight of Care Responsibilities, (۲) Psycho-Emotional Erosion, (۳) The Crushing of Personal and Social Identity, and (۴) Socio-Economic Precarity, encompassing eleven subcategories. Caregivers reported persistent stress related to regimen management, emotional exhaustion, identity loss, social isolation, and financial and occupational instability.Implications for Practice: Home caregivers of kidney transplant recipients experience profound, multidimensional burdens that extend beyond medical care. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive caregiver-centered interventions, including education, psychological support, and policy-level support to promote sustainable family caregiving and improved transplant outcomes.

کلیدواژه ها:

Caregiver burden ، Home caregivers ، Kidney Transplantation ، Qualitative content analysis