Taking Care of Another Person: “When my Body is Here But my Mind is Somewhere Else”

Introduction: To understand the meaning of being a patient’s informal caregiver at Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital in Medellin during a hospitalization period from 2012 to 2015. Development: This was a qualitative study that used the methodology known as grounded theory, which was proposed by Strauss and Corbin. A total of 20 caretakers were interviewed. The interviews were first transcribed and then analyzed via open axial coding. This ultimately led to the definition of three analytical categories. Conclusions: Fulfilling the tasks demanded by the role of the informal caregiver of a sick person implies separating own self into two distinct contexts: On the one hand, the caretaker’s body should be next to the hospitalized patient, but, on the other hand, his/her mind is still outside, still taking care of some unrelated business. In fact, being a caregiver is a full-time job as it implies being hospitalized together with the patient. Caregivers have an excessive amount of responsibilities and this has a strong negative impact on their health. This can be compensated with their own commitment and the support of their relatives and the healthcare providing institution. It is urgent to address the needs of caregivers via the offers and support of healthcare systems.