Pushing Through: How Older Adult Caregivers Manage Wound Care

Abstract

Older adults are taking on caregiving roles and are performing complex care procedures, such as wound care, in the home setting yet there is a dearth of knowledge about how older adult caregivers manage the performance of wound care on a day-to-day basis. The theoretical framework developed in this research describes this process of managing the caregiving role. Interviews with 18 caregivers aged 65 years and older who were performing wound care in the home for a care recipient yielded a theoretical framework from their narratives using a qualitative grounded theory analysis. The resultant theoretical framework, Pushing Through, consisted of five phases: (a) accepting the role, (b) lacking confidence, (c) creating a system, (d) trusting in self, and (e) owning the outcomes. An understanding of the older adult caregiver’s process creates opportunities for healthcare professionals to develop and implement evidence-based interventions.