Determining the Care Burden of Caregivers Taking Care of Patients with Cancer - Abstract
This descriptive study was conducted in an attempt to determine the caregiving burden of caregivers taking care of patients with cancer. The study was performed with 80 patient relatives taking care of patients with cancer at Ali Osman Sönmez Oncology Hospital. Regarding the study participants, 87.5% stated that they volunteered in caregiving, 73.75% had an interrupted sleep, 80% were affected in terms of family life, 56.25% business life and 80% emotional life. Comparing the care giving burden of women, as well as those who were older than 51 and were married according to their gender, age and marital status, we determined significant differences. There was a significant difference in caregiving burden in those living with their patients for 5 years and those taking care of their partners according to the variables of caregiving. The study results show that the caregiving burden is mainly put on partners. In order to decrease the personal burden, it is required to share the care in the entire family, emphasize the necessity for caregivers to allocate time for their social activities and enable them to receive trainings regarding patient care.