Ian Munro1, Karen-Leigh Edward. 1. Facility of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science School of Nursing (Peninsula Campus), Monash University, Victoria, Australia. ian.munro@med.monash.edu.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The notion of caregiver 'burden' has been used as a term that refers to the financial, physical and emotional effects of caring. This Australian 2002 research investigated the caregiver burden of HIV/AIDS on the gay male carers of gay men with the disease. METHODS: This study was a phenomenological inquiry and employed van Manen's approach to content analysis. Data saturation occurred at twelve participants. RESULTS: The findings produced carer themes relating to coping with the burden of care of a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the context of living day-to-day with HIV/AIDS, coping with the last phase of AIDS toward death, saying goodbye and remembrance. CONCLUSION: Allocating resources to gay male carers such as; education, respite care, family therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address grief and stigma issues, has implications for how health services might reduce the burden of care for these carers.
OBJECTIVE: The notion of caregiver 'burden' has been used as a term that refers to the financial, physical and emotional effects of caring. This Australian 2002 research investigated the caregiver burden of HIV/AIDS on the gay male carers of gay men with the disease. METHODS: This study was a phenomenological inquiry and employed van Manen's approach to content analysis. Data saturation occurred at twelve participants. RESULTS: The findings produced carer themes relating to coping with the burden of care of a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the context of living day-to-day with HIV/AIDS, coping with the last phase of AIDS toward death, saying goodbye and remembrance. CONCLUSION: Allocating resources to gay male carers such as; education, respite care, family therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address grief and stigma issues, has implications for how health services might reduce the burden of care for these carers.