A Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Primary Caregivers to Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries

Caregiving is a process creating both stress and gratifications within the family unit. Affected by the changes within the family system, primary caregivers use a variety of coping mechanisms to adapt to conditions of disability and/ or impairment in a family member. This study sought to describe the lived experiences of primary caregivers to individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and their processes of coping and adaptation in attempts to maintain equilibrium. Implications for practitioners and medical professionals are provided in an attempt to understand the overall picture of the caregiving experience, which is noted to enhance the impact on the ability to plan for appropriate interventions that will support the needs of not only the individual, but also primary caregiving families during the phases of recovery as well as into the future.