Understanding the Experience of Caregivers: A Focus on Transitions

To review the current knowledge on the challenges and benefits of informal family caregiving; and propose two conceptual frameworks for studying transitions common to patients with cancer and their family caregivers through the trajectory of the disease process leading to better, more focused, indiv...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Seminars in oncology nursing 2010-11, Vol.26 (4), p.243-258
Main Authors: Blum, Kay, Sherman, Deborah W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Assessment
Awareness
Burden
Cancer
caregiver assessment
Caregivers
Caregivers - psychology
Carers
Comprehension
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Interventions
Male
Neoplasms - nursing
Neoplasms - psychology
Nursing
Quality of Life - psychology
Social Support
Stress, Psychological
transitions
United States
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Summary:To review the current knowledge on the challenges and benefits of informal family caregiving; and propose two conceptual frameworks for studying transitions common to patients with cancer and their family caregivers through the trajectory of the disease process leading to better, more focused, individualized interventions; A review of current and classic literature on patients with cancer and their caregivers. Caregivers often take on burdens that they are not prepared for. As they become overwhelmed with the work, they often neglect themselves, leading to physical and emotional illnesses. Not all caregivers perceive the same amount of burden. Careful assessment of each caregiver/cared-for dyad to individualize their support is critical to supporting them along the journey of a cancer diagnosis. Operationalizing conceptual frameworks can accelerate nurses’ understanding of patient and caregiver transitions, leading to more focused interventions and allocation of resources to assist them in these transitions.
ISSN:0749-2081
1878-3449
DOI:10.1016/j.soncn.2010.08.005