What are the needs of critical illness survivors during recovery at home in Aotearoa (New Zealand)?

There is little research exploring the survivorship journey, impairments experienced, or the needs of critical illness survivors during recovery in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Constructivist grounded theory was used to explore the recovery journey of 11 participants interviewed six to nine months after hospital discharge. The overall concept outlining critical illness recovery was defined as the ‘work of recovery’. This concept was chosen to reflect that recovery was, for most, burdensome and arduous. Five core categories underpinning the concept were constructed: (1) ‘Enduring symptoms and health turmoil’, (2) ‘Psychological toll of critical illness’, (3) ‘Adaptation, acceptance and regeneration’, (4) ‘Facilitators of recovery’, and (5) ‘Barriers and gaps to recovery. These categories underpin the disability, cognitive dysfunction, and psychological fragility experienced during the recovery journey. Survivors were highly dependent on others in the early recovery stages. Access to rehabilitation and whānau (family) support were facilitators of recovery. However, survivors often lacked the support and oversight from healthcare teams, with unmet needs around information about expectations, timelines, and symptoms, and follow-up aftercare. Psychological support, information, and reassurance around cognitive dysfunction and recovery trajectories are needed. Little to no follow-up exists for survivors once home, a missed opportunity to address all these issues.