Waves of hurt faced by families due to a hospitalised relative with COVID-19 in the Cape Flats

Abstract

Background: Family members value each other, particularly during troubled times, and the consequences of a sudden disruption to their family environment could imply difficult adjustments, affecting their well-being. They did not expect that a family member would get severely ill due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It was unclear what the experiences of family members were on the sudden hospitalisation of a close relative diagnosed with COVID-19.

Aim: To gain insight into the experiences of family members with a close relative unexpectedly hospitalised with COVID-19.

Setting: Two health clinics in Cape Town, were identified that family members visited after the hospitalisation of a close relative with COVID-19.

Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was followed including 11 participants, heterogeneously purposefully sampled. Individual interviews lasted 30 min– 45 min, posing semi-structured questions - probing led to thematic saturation. Data coding resulted in four themes with 11 categories.

Results: Nursing communication with communities during COVID-19 could identify the presence of emotionally wounded states of family members. Nurses should be competent in techniques to relieve the fear of families around their isolated hospitalised relatives. Further research can explore family-orientated interventions needed to deal with fear of losing a hospitalised relative being critically ill.

Conclusion: The need of families for ‘nearness’ to a close relative needed to be understood - it meant more than physical proximity.