Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Vanessa Abrahamson, Patricia Wilson, Stephen Barclay, Charlotte Brigden, Heather Gage, Kay Greene, Ferhana Hashem, Rasa Mikelyte, Melanie Rees-Roberts, Graham Silsbury, Mary Goodwin, Brooke Swash, Bee Wee, Peter Williams, Claire Butler
Summary: Hospice-at-home services are highly valued by carers who recognize the quality of care provided by hospice staff, including their ability to communicate effectively, spend time with patients, and handle end-of-life situations. Hands-on care is particularly important during the final stages of life.
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Naoko Otsuki, Ryohei Yamamoto, Yukihiro Sakaguchi, Kento Masukawa, Tatsuya Morita, Yoshiyuki Kizawa, Satoru Tsuneto, Yasuo Shima, Sakiko Fukui, Mitsunori Miyashita
Summary: The study in Japan on 710 family caregivers of cancer patients found that time-dependent burden was highest among caregivers of patients with moderate care needs. Additionally, older patients and younger caregivers were significantly associated with a time-dependent burden.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Meghan McDarby, David Russell, Lori King, Elissa Kozlov, Elizabeth A. A. Luth
Summary: This study identified the unique challenges faced by family care partners (FCPs) of persons living with dementia (PLwD) near the end of life. These challenges include managing emotions and behaviors associated with advanced dementia, lack of knowledge and information about dementia, and maintaining FCP well-being. FCPs employ strategies such as accepting professional help, gaining knowledge about dementia, and practical approaches to cope with end-of-life caregiving demands.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Tzu-Ting Chang, Shu-Yuan Liang, John Rosenberg
Summary: Oral cancer in Taiwan is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. The complications and side effects of its treatment pose a significant burden on family caregivers. This study explores the factors contributing to caregiver burden and highlights the role of education level and household income in predicting caregiver burden. The findings provide insights for healthcare professionals to improve family-centred care and support for vulnerable patients and their caregivers.
Article
Family Studies
Jacquelyn J. Benson, Karla T. Washington, Olivia J. Landon, Daphne E. Chakurian, George Demiris, Debra Parker Oliver
Summary: This study found that caring for family members with advanced cancer is challenging, and support from the caregiver's social network, especially other family members, is crucial for reducing caregiver burden and psychological distress. However, the family environment is not always supportive, with reports of family conflict and dissatisfaction with support being common. The study identified four themes of family stress for caregivers of cancer patients: failed support, relational tensions, denial, and additional care work. These findings have important implications for clinical assessment and the development of interventions for caregivers of adult cancer patients, highlighting the significance of measuring the everyday dynamics of family life.
JOURNAL OF FAMILY NURSING
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Meng-Ping Wu, Lee-Ing Tsao, Sheng-Jean Huang, Chieh-Yu Liu
Summary: In Chinese or Eastern society, most EOL patients choose to die at home, but primary family caregivers are often not prepared for this. Therefore, a measurement tool, the RHBPCS, was developed to assess the readiness for home-based palliative care for primary family caregivers, with good reliability and validity demonstrated in the study.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Debra Lotstein, Margaret J. Klein, Lisa C. Lindley, Joanne Wolfe
Summary: This study investigated the referral practices of a hospital-based pediatric palliative care team to community-based programs. It found that only a minority of patients received referrals, and those in the ICU and with neurologic conditions may be at higher risk of missing appropriate referrals.
JOURNAL OF PAIN AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Review
Psychology, Clinical
Joshua M. Baruth, Jacqueline B. Ho, Sohail Mohammad, Maria Lapid
Summary: Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness with significant impacts on individuals, families, and communities. Despite the high healthcare costs associated with it, individuals with schizophrenia often face inequitable care at the end of life. Enhancing awareness of healthcare disparities, implementing multidisciplinary care, and providing adequate palliative services can improve end-of-life care for individuals with schizophrenia.
INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOGERIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Tugba Ulgen, Ozlem Ugur
Summary: This study investigated the impact of home care practices and perceived social support level on the burden of care for caregivers of cancer patients, finding that increased home care practices and decreased social support level can lead to an increase in caregiver burden.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2022)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Katherine Pryde, Natasha Brusco, Clare O'Callaghan, Angela Baird, Ronna Moore, Jennifer White, Caitlin Bull, Annemarie L. Lee, Natasha Michael
Summary: This study aimed to explore the feasibility, acceptance, and experiences of caregiver massage therapy in palliative care. The results showed that caregiver massage training is feasible, but healthcare professionals perceived it as potentially burdensome for caregivers.
COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Susan E. Wang, Eric C. Haupt, Claudia Nau, Henry Werch, Carmit McMullen, Joanne Lynn, Ernest Shen, Richard A. Mularski, Huong Q. Nguyen
Summary: This study describes the prevalence and characteristics of patients and family caregivers with high financial distress at admission to home-based palliative care (HBPC) and examines the relationship between financial distress and patient and caregiver outcomes. The results indicate that half of the patients reported some level of financial distress, with younger patients more likely to have moderate/severe financial distress. Patients with moderate/severe financial distress had worse symptoms, general distress, and quality of life, and their caregivers reported worse preparedness, burden, and quality of life. However, compared to patients with no financial distress, those with moderate/severe financial distress had more social work contacts, improved symptom burden after 1 month, and no increase in hospital utilization.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Daniel Kinder, Dawn Smith, Mary Ersek, Melissa Wachterman, Joshua Thorpe, Darlene Davis, Ann Kutney-Lee
Summary: This study found that veterans enrolled in the HBPC program who received community-based hospice services had higher ratings of end-of-life care from bereaved family members, which may help improve the overall experience of end-of-life care for veterans and their families.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Yuhei Otobe, Mizue Suzuki, Yosuke Kimura, Shingo Koyama, Iwao Kojima, Takeo Ichikawa, Yusuke Terao, Minoru Yamada
Summary: A study of 700 family caregivers in Japan revealed that the frequency of gratitude expressed by care receivers towards caregivers before they needed care was significantly associated with caregiver burden. High levels of gratitude were found to be linked with lower caregiver burden, highlighting the importance of gratitude in reducing caregiver burden.
ARCHIVES OF GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Inbal Halevi Hochwald, Zorian Radomyslsky, Yehuda Danon, Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot
Summary: This study described the challenges of caring for people with end stage dementia and their families. The findings may contribute to the improvement of services and quality of care for these individuals.
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sulaiman Alshakhs, Taeyoung Park, Meghan McDarby, M. Cary Reid, Sara Czaja, Ronald Adelman, Elisabeth Sweet, Caroline M. Jedlicka, Diana Delgado, Veerawat Phongtankuel
Summary: This scoping review aimed to examine the breadth of interventions for caregivers of terminally ill patients receiving hospice care at home. The review described the characteristics of these interventions, discussed key outcomes, limitations, and knowledge gaps, highlighted intervention strengths, and proposed future research directions. The findings showed that many interventions were in the early stages of development, emphasizing the need for further research on their efficacy and implementation in real-world settings.
JOURNAL OF PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)