Heart Failure/*nursing

Objectives: The purpose of this review was to examine and synthesize recent literature regarding problems experienced by informal caregivers when providing care for individuals with heart failure in the home.; Design: Integrative literature review.; Data Sources: A review of current empirical literature was conducted utilizing PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Sociological Abstracts, Social Sciences Full Text, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Cochrane computerized databases.

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic health condition that causes significant morbidity among older adults, many of whom receive support and care from an informal caregiver. Caregiving is a difficult role with many responsibilities and challenges. An in-depth understanding of these challenges is necessary to develop services, resources, and interventions for HF caregivers. The goal of this study was to qualitatively ascertain the most significant challenges facing HF caregivers. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 caregivers of a person with HF (PHF).