Impact of chronic kidney disease on everyday life: A descriptive qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Living with chronic kidney disease is stressful as the disease and its treatments impact on everyday physical, psychological, and social activities. As this disease has a long trajectory, it is important to understand everyday life experiences of those at different points along this trajectory.OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of chronic kidney disease and its treatment on everyday life.DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative design PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five adults with chronic kidney disease across various grades were purposively recruited.APPROACH: Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Deductive content analysis informed by the revised Wilson and Cleary model was used to analyse data.FINDINGS: There were four themes. Theme 1, experiencing deterioration of kidney function, reflected the physical and psychological problems experienced by participants. Theme 2, changes that happened to me and my family, explained the subsequent limitations in their physical, social and role functioning. Theme 3, responding to a new normal, identified adjustments needed in everyday life to cope with the disease and its treatments. The final theme, thinking ahead and making a decision, captured the future plans and decisions needed while living with chronic kidney disease.CONCLUSIONS: People with chronic kidney disease experience complex challenges such as greater symptom burden and functional limitations across the disease grades which impact on their everyday life. Nurses' recognition of these challenges is crucial for identifying and addressing unmet needs. Early individualised interventions, such as routine symptom assessment and management strategies that improve the wellbeing of people are needed.