Caregivers’ Experiences Derived from Everyday Occupations

ABSTRACT

Aims: The stress of caring for others can put caregivers’ health at risk, yet existing occupational therapy interventions largely focus on providing direct care. Capturing caregivers’ daily lived experiences may yield insights enabling occupational therapists (OTs) to better meet a broader scope of their needs. This phenomenological study aimed to uncover the daily occupations and experiences of spousal caregivers (n = 6). Methods: Data were collected over 4 months using a time-use diary (the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity, and Restoration Profile), individual interviews, and a focus group. Results: Inductive content analysis resulted in three themes: caregivers felt conflicted by experiences of pleasure and restoration outside of caregiving, occupational experiences revealed changes in daily patterns of life, and past occupational experiences influenced perceptions of caregiving. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the need for OTs to expand their roles with caregivers, supporting their ability to provide care and maintain their health and well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Caregivers
• time-use
• everyday activity
• subjective experience

Declaration of interest

The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all of the caregivers who participated in the interviews and were so willing to share their stories and insights with us. We are also grateful to Dr. Pat Sample for her comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript.