Experiences of relatives caring for family members who attend antiretroviral therapy clinic at a teaching hospital in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Relatives as caregivers to their loved ones who are diagnosed with AIDS and attending Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic have experiences which could affect their daily psychological functioning. They further reported reduced levels of physical functioning that affect their quality of life and care giving capacity. The study explored the experiences of relatives caring for family members attending Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) clinic in a tertiary hospital of Limpopo Province. A qualitative, descriptive and exploratory design was used. The population included all relatives of patients diagnosed with AIDS who present for medical consultations at ART clinic at a tertiary hospital. Non-probability purposive sampling was used. Data were collected through in-depth individual, unstructured interviews with 14 participants who were included in the interview sessions until data saturation was reached. Data were analysed qualitatively by means of the open-coding method. Findings revealed three themes with sub-themes, namely; relatives’ responsibilities in providing care to family member with AIDS; relatives’ responsibilities in terms of care resources and relatives’ experiences with regard to patients’ behavioral changes. Nurse managers should to facilitate participative workshops and establish of family support groups.Keywords: Experiences, diagnosed with AIDS, antiretroviral therapy clinic, relatives of infected family member