Research article summary (published 15 Jun 2009):

Hospice family caregivers' quality of life.

Full Abstract

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To study quality of life (QOL) and its important correlates among family caregivers of terminally ill patients receiving in-home hospice care. BACKGROUND: Caregiver QOL has been identified as a core outcome variable in studies of dying patients and their families, but few studies have assessed QOL among caregivers of patients with terminal illness, particularly those in hospice care. DESIGN: For this cross-sectional correlational study, 60 caregivers were recruited from two local in-home hospice programmes in the Midwestern United States. METHODS: Self-report data were provided by caregivers using the Caregiver Quality of Life Index - Cancer, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, American Pain Society Patient Outcomes Questionnaire, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status Rating and Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey to measure their QOL, spirituality, health status and social support. RESULTS: Caregivers' educational status, physical health status, spirituality and qualitative and quantitative social support, as a set, explained 42% of the variance in their QOL. Caregivers with higher education, better physical health status, greater spirituality and more qualitative and quantitative social support, had a significantly better QOL. CONCLUSIONS: QOL for this sample of hospice caregivers was significantly predicted only by physical health status and spirituality, likely because of collinearity among the independent variables. Additional research is needed to explore the factors that sustain or promote caregivers' QOL over time. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: In the delivery of hospice services, the family caregiver is both a vital member of the health care team and a recipient of care. Health care providers should therefore pay more attention to the health status and spirituality of major caregivers, thus helping them maintain and improve their QOL.

Author information

Author/s: Tang, Woung-Ru (WR);

Affiliation: Graduate Institute of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Taiwan Graduate Institute of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, ROC. wtang(-atsign-)mail.cgu.edu.tw

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of clinical nursing (J Clin Nurs), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 18 (issue 18) : pp 2563-72

Dates: Created 2009/08/21; Completed 2009/11/02;

PMID: 19538564, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/2/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Caregivers Cross-Sectional Studies Female Hospice Care

Humans Male Middle Aged Midwestern United States Quality of Life Questionnaires Terminally Ill

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