Caring at the end of life: Do cancer caregivers differ from other caregivers?

Girgis, A; Abernethy, AP; Currow, DC

Caring at the end of life: Do cancer caregivers differ from other caregivers?

Girgis, A Abernethy, AP Currow, DC

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, 2015, 5 (5), pp. 513 - 517
Issue Date:: 2015-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Girgis, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Abernethy, AP	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Currow, DC https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1988-1250	en_US
dc.date.available	2013-12-17	en_US
dc.date.issued	2015-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, 2015, 5 (5), pp. 513 - 517	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	2045-435X	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/118594
dc.description.abstract	Objective Cancer is one of the most common health conditions in receipt of informal caregiving. This study compares key characteristics of caregivers who cared for someone with cancer until death with caregivers of people with other life-limiting illnesses and their care recipients irrespective of health service utilisation. Method Data were analysed from annual statewide South Australian Health Omnibus Surveys (2000-2007) involving 14 624 respondents, regarding end of life care. Descriptive and comparative data are presented. Results Almost a third of respondents (32%; participation rate 72%) had someone close to them die from an 'expected' death in the preceding 5 years. One in 10 (10%) respondents reported providing hands-on care predominantly for someone with cancer. Compared with noncancer caregivers, cancer caregivers cared for someone who was significantly younger (mean age 66 (95%CI 64 to 67) years vs 74 (95% CI 72 to 77) years; one-way analysis of variance p<0.0001) and were more likely to report having a hospice/ palliative care service involved in the care of the deceased (65% (95%CI 63 to 67) compared with 39%(95%CI 37 to 42). In the Australian context, this may mean contact with inpatient, outpatient and community-based services. There were no differences between the needs which caregivers perceived to be unmet or the perceptions that no additional supports were required between the two groups. Conclusions Informal caregivers perform a critical social and economic role in care provision. Cancer caregivers are a proportionally larger cohort than non-cancer caregivers.With the increasing incidence of cancer, the sustainability of a voluntary cancer caregiving workforce will be reliant upon minimising the burden of care.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000495	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Palliative Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Terminal Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Hospice Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Surveys	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cross-Sectional Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Caregivers	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Terminally Ill	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	South Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	Caring at the end of life: Do cancer caregivers differ from other caregivers?	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/IMPACCT
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	5	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	5	en_US

Abstract:

Objective Cancer is one of the most common health conditions in receipt of informal caregiving. This study compares key characteristics of caregivers who cared for someone with cancer until death with caregivers of people with other life-limiting illnesses and their care recipients irrespective of health service utilisation. Method Data were analysed from annual statewide South Australian Health Omnibus Surveys (2000-2007) involving 14 624 respondents, regarding end of life care. Descriptive and comparative data are presented. Results Almost a third of respondents (32%; participation rate 72%) had someone close to them die from an 'expected' death in the preceding 5 years. One in 10 (10%) respondents reported providing hands-on care predominantly for someone with cancer. Compared with noncancer caregivers, cancer caregivers cared for someone who was significantly younger (mean age 66 (95%CI 64 to 67) years vs 74 (95% CI 72 to 77) years; one-way analysis of variance p<0.0001) and were more likely to report having a hospice/ palliative care service involved in the care of the deceased (65% (95%CI 63 to 67) compared with 39%(95%CI 37 to 42). In the Australian context, this may mean contact with inpatient, outpatient and community-based services. There were no differences between the needs which caregivers perceived to be unmet or the perceptions that no additional supports were required between the two groups. Conclusions Informal caregivers perform a critical social and economic role in care provision. Cancer caregivers are a proportionally larger cohort than non-cancer caregivers.With the increasing incidence of cancer, the sustainability of a voluntary cancer caregiving workforce will be reliant upon minimising the burden of care.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/118594