Burden and depression levels of parents of children with tracheostomy and home mechanical ventilator

As a reflection of healthcare technology on patient care through its development today, the number of children, who continue to live as dependent on technological devices at home environment and who need special care, is increasing. This study was carried out descriptively to determine care burden and depression levels of the parents of children with tracheostomy who are on mechanical ventilation at home. Data were collected by a sociodemographic data form including 38 questions which were generated by reviewing literature, and by using "Caregiving Burden Scale" to determine care burden of the parents and "Beck Depression Scale" to determine depression levels. The study was conducted with 70 parents of children with tracheostomy who were on mechanical ventilation at home, who were aged between 1-18 and registered to Domestic Health Services Unit of Ankara Dr. Sami Ulus Obstetric and Pediatric Health Training and Research Hospital between September 2017 and September 2018. Most of the children of the parents included in our study were males (62.9%), 32.9% were 3 years old and younger and 47.1% had a neuromuscular disease. The ratio of children who have been on mechanical ventilation for 25 months and more was 51.4%. All of the parents who were interviewed were mothers; 55.7% of them were between 31-40 years old and 35.7% had an education level of elementary school and lower. At the end of the study, it was determined that sex and age of the children, disease group, nutrition type and the duration of staying connected to ventilator did not have an effect on the mean scores of care burden and depression of the mothers (p>0.05). Significant relationships were found between mean caregiving burden and depression scores and variables such as age of the mother and her state of having a disease, economic status of the family, mother's state of experiencing a problem during social isolation and care, and state of thinking that family bonds and privary were affected (p<0.05). Besides, a positive and weak correlation was detected between caregiving burden and depression scales; and it was determined that depression scale scores increased as caregiving burden scores increased. In conclusion, it was observed that care of technology-dependent children at home was met especially by the mothers; and they had difficulties physically and psychologically. It is important for the nurses to support parents about domestic care adequately, to provide discharge training and consulting and to maintain support through home visits during transfer to home. It can be suggested to plan, improve, evaluate and regularly provide domestic care services for the children who are dependent on medical technology; and to carry out studies that will reduce caregiving burden of the mothers. Key Words : Technology-dependent Child, Caregiving Burden, Depression, Parent, Domestic care, Nursing