Faronbi, Joel Olayiwola

Background Caregivers of the elderly with chronic illnesses are exposed to the burden associated with their caregiving activities. This study described the lived experience of caregivers of older adults in Nigeria. Methods A qualitative design guided by interpretive phenomenology informed the design of the research, whereby 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers of older adults with chronic illnesses. The interview sessions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim and analysed using constant comparison analysis method.

Family members play key roles in the care of older adults with chronic illness. However, little is known about the negative consequences of caregiving in Sub-Sahara Africa. The current study examined the influence of caregivers' burden and coping ability on the health-related quality of life of caregivers of older adults with chronic illness. An exploratory sequential mixed methods study was conducted among 16 family members. Findings showed that caregivers experienced severe burden, coped moderately with the burden, and had poor quality of life.

Aim: Caring for older adults with chronic illness is associated with enormous physical and psychological stress on the informal caregivers.