Objective:

Deepening knowledge of the experiences and support perceived in primary caregivers who attended patients in hemodialysis treatment during the pandemic period for COVID-19 in the city of Madrid.

Material and Method:

Cross-sectional study conducted with ten primary caregivers of patients in hemodialysis treatment who had provided care during the period from March 2020 to June 2021. The collection of the data was carried out through semi-structured distance interviews to achieve saturation of the units of meaning. A phenomenological qualitative analysis was carried out using Colaizzi’s seven-pass method.

Results:

From the analysis of the speeches, dimensions associated with different subcategories emerged: initial fear about the disease, loss of freedom, perceived risk during transport, perceived support from dialysis centres, resilience, fear of death and impact of vaccination.

Conclusions:

At the height of the outbreak, caregivers’ experiences were strongly influenced by their lack of knowledge of the disease and fear of infection. They adapted self-prevention measures to keep their family member safe. They appreciated the safety provided by the professionals in the centres. They were concerned about the risks inherent in transfers and the lack of support from social services. They are aware of their own and the cared-for person’s frailty and do not perceive major changes in their way of life or in their hope for the future, despite vaccination and other scientific advances.

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