Caregivers' experiences about caring for patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

This study was conducted using the phenomenological method, which is a qualitative research method, in order to reveal caregivers' experiences about caring for patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Study population consisted of caregivers of patients who had percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and were discharged from Hacettepe University Adult Hospital at least 3 months prior to the study. Participants were recruited using the purposive sampling method, which is a non-probability sampling method. Sample size was based on data saturation. Data were collected using a descriptive characteristics information form for patients and caregivers, nutrition, drug administration and stoma care observation form, and a semi-structured interview form. The study was found that the majority of patients had a neurological disease and the majority of caregivers were female. It was observed that caregivers did not wash their hands before their practices, not give proper position before and after feeding their patients, not wash the tube with water before drug administration and used different cleaning products in stoma care. Both 21 semi-structured in-depth individual interviews and observation were transcribed for content analysis, as a result of which context, themes and sub-themes were generated by the researcher. The resulting contexts were percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy management, social-emotional change of caregiver, expectation and ten themes and thirty one sub- themes. Post-discharge care-related problems and needs of caregivers of patients with PEG were determined and, it is thought that these results will provide improving care process and post discharge life of the patients and caregivers.