Daily life of informal caregivers: perspectives from occupational therapy

Abstract

Introduction: This article proposes to understand the daily life of informal caregivers through their narratives from the perspective of Occupational Therapy under the implications in occupational areas. Objective: Analyze from the occupation areas of self-care, productivity and leisure, the narratives of women who exercise the role of informal caregiver. Method: Qualitative research, with a narrative approach to obtain the experience of the caregivers since they assumed this role, through a semi-structured interview that was carried out with five informal caregivers belonging to the Valdivia commune, Los Ríos Region (Chile). Results: Repercussions were identified in the self-care area, expressed in overload, multiplicity of roles, mood and sleep disorders. In terms of productivity, these women manage to reconcile their daily lives with their work, the support of third parties being a protective factor. Finally, in leisure time, the space for themselves is drastically reduced by both the work and the health situation, making it impossible to balance their routines. Conclusions: Exercising the role of caregiver implies a change in occupational areas, which directly and indirectly affects daily life, since there is an abrupt break in the routine, enhanced by the lack of social support and / or the normalization of the performance of this role by women. In addition, the confinement measures due to COVID-19 increased the impact of the role of caregiver in the daily life of these women, expressed in a greater workload and a significant decrease in self-care.