Barriers to and Facilitators of Family Caregiving of Patients With COVID-19 Early in the Pandemic.
Amanda N Leggett, Sheria G Robinson-Lane, Grace Oxford and 8 others
PMID 37907378WHAT IT FOUND
Family caregivers of intubated COVID-19 patients faced shifting advice, delayed rehab, isolation, stigma, and equipment problems.
Reachable staff, clear discharge teaching, and practical home setup helped. This describes experiences, not tested care.
Key findings
01Caregivers and patients described changing pandemic guidance, poor access to healthcare staff, and delayed formal care as major barriers that increased caregiver burden.
02Home setup mattered: caregivers modified spaces and used walkers, shower chairs, and oxygen, but training gaps and bulky equipment could make mobility harder.
03Support from family and friends helped, but caregivers also experienced stigma, isolation, contact fatigue, and their own health problems.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
16 dyads from one University-based healthcare system may not represent other areas. Data were collected early in the pandemic, so findings may differ from later waves. Interviews happened an average of 90 days after discharge, and ICU-related cognitive impairment could affect recall. The study reports experiences and themes, not tested interventions or outcomes.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not report a conflicts-of-interest or funding declaration. The publication types list NIH and other research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported barriers and facilitators as evidence that changing discharge teaching or home setup improves recovery. The study only interviewed a small number of patient-caregiver pairs early in the pandemic and did not test any intervention.