Facilitating care: The experiences of informal carers during the transition of elderly dependants from hospital to home- a grounded theory study

Abstract

Major changes have occurred in South Africa over the past twelve years. The delivery of health care changed significantly. Community Health Centres (CHCs) became the main service delivery sites within districts. Due to socio-economic changes in the country, the care of dependants, particularly children and the aged, became problematic to families where most of the adult members have to work to secure an income. A focused literature search indicates that informal carers are ill prepared for their task, that there is a need to include these carers in the discharge planning of the dependants and that the carers need to be supported within their families and communities. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of informal carers during the transition of their elderly dependants from hospital to home, within the home and across different social groupings in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, South Africa. In addition, the involvement of informal carers in the rehabilitation of the elderly was explored.