To Live Close to a Person With Cancer—Experiences of Family Caregivers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the experiences of Family Caregivers (FC) living close to a patient with cancer. This article reports on the findings from individual interviews with 15 FCs of patients with cancer. The interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative hermeneutic analysis. This study revealed that living close to a cancer patient over the course of his or her illness affected many aspects of FCs lives in significant ways. Their experiences can be summarized with two major themes: (1) living in an ever changing life world and (2) balancing between conflicting interests and dilemmas. This study contributed to deeper insights into FC's experiences than previously reported in the literature.

Creating an upward spiral: A qualitative study of caregivers' experience of participating in a structured physical activity programme

“…Being overwhelmed and having trouble finding time for oneself has been highlighted in previous quantitative and qualitative research with caregivers (Carlander et al, 2011;Stenberg et al, 2012). Throughout the interviews, most of the caregivers referred to their caregiving experience prior to starting the exercise programme as overwhelming, wherein they struggled to cope and find time for their own self-care.…”

“…Research has demonstrated that physical and emotional health may be negatively impacted. Caregivers have described the challenges of caregiving to be overwhelming and unpredictable (Stenberg, Ruland, Olsson, & Ekstedt, 2012) with numerous aspects of their lives being altered (Stenberg et al, 2012). Caregivers have described the challenges of caregiving to be overwhelming and unpredictable (Stenberg, Ruland, Olsson, & Ekstedt, 2012) with numerous aspects of their lives being altered (Stenberg et al, 2012).…”

“…This includes increased rates of anxiety and depression (Fridriksdottir et al, 2011;Rivera, 2009), greater risk of heart disease and stroke (Ji, Zöller, Sundquist, & Sundquist, 2012), and poorer overall quality of life (Kim, Shaffer, Carver, & Cannady, 2016) found in caregivers compared to non-caregivers. The demands of caregiving often lead to an ongoing balancing act between caring for and attending to the needs of the self, while attending to the needs of the patient (Carlander, Ternestedt, Sahlberg-Blom, Hellstrom, & Sandberg, 2011;Stenberg et al, 2012). The demands of caregiving often lead to an ongoing balancing act between caring for and attending to the needs of the self, while attending to the needs of the patient (Carlander, Ternestedt, Sahlberg-Blom, Hellstrom, & Sandberg, 2011;Stenberg et al, 2012).…”

“…& Ekstedt, 2012) with numerous aspects of their lives being altered (Stenberg et al, 2012). The demands of caregiving often lead to an ongoing balancing act between caring for and attending to the needs of the self, while attending to the needs of the patient (Carlander, Ternestedt, Sahlberg-Blom, Hellstrom, & Sandberg, 2011;Stenberg et al, 2012).…”

“…& Ekstedt, 2012) with numerous aspects of their lives being altered (Stenberg et al, 2012). The demands of caregiving often lead to an ongoing balancing act between caring for and attending to the needs of the self, while attending to the needs of the patient (Carlander, Ternestedt, Sahlberg-Blom, Hellstrom, & Sandberg, 2011;Stenberg et al, 2012). Caregiving demands may also lead to a lack of time to participate in health-promoting practices such as physical activity, eating well and getting enough sleep (Beesley, Price, & Webb, 2011;Mancini et al, 2010;Marquez, Bustamante, Kozey-Keadle, Kraemer, & Carrion, 2012;Mochari-Greenberger & Mosca, 2012;Rha, Park, Song, Lee, & Lee, 2015).…”