Effect of Empowerment Program on Caregiver Burden among Hemodialysis Caregivers

Background
For many families, dialysis does not end when the patient leaves the dialysis unit. A relative may reorganize work, meals, transport, household responsibilities and family routines around a treatment schedule that continues for years. This continuing responsibility can contribute to substantial caregiver burden and may affect emotional well-being, social relationships, finances and everyday functioning.
Aim
To evaluate the effectiveness of an Empowerment Program on caregiver burden among caregivers of patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Methods
A randomized two-group pre-test–post-test experimental study was conducted among adult primary caregivers of patients receiving hemodialysis in two dialysis units of multispecialty hospitals in Chennai. Of 160 caregivers assessed for eligibility, 112 were randomized equally into an experimental group (n=56) and a control group (n=56). The experimental group received a three-session Empowerment Program addressing cognitive education, psychological coping and practical adaptation. Caregiver burden was assessed at baseline, 4 weeks and 12 weeks using the 22-item Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI).
Results
At baseline, the mean caregiver-burden score was 70.09±12.82 in the experimental group and 69.09±14.20 in the control group. In the experimental group, the mean score decreased to 36.87±14.68 at 4 weeks and 33.98±15.64 at 12 weeks. In the control group, the corresponding means were 67.40±12.58 and 66.36±12.82. Within-group comparisons in the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant reductions at both follow-up assessments (p<0.001). The reported repeated-measures analysis showed F=132.0 with p<0.001. However, the exact effect term and degrees of freedom should be verified against the original statistical output before publication. At 12 weeks, 53 participants in each group were available for analysis.
Conclusion
The findings support the potential value of a structured empowerment approach for reducing caregiver
burden among caregivers of patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis. Combining knowledge, psychological support and practical coping strategies may provide caregivers with greater confidence and adaptive capacity in managing continuing caregiving responsibilities.

Caregiver burden; hemodialysis; chronic kidney disease; empowerment program; family caregivers; nursing intervention; Zarit Burden Inventory.

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