[Terminal care at home and the burden on the family].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the burden on families who care for a patients in the terminal stage of cancer at home.


METHODS
Family members caring for three terminal patients at home completed the Burden Index every ten days and compared it with the patient's physical condition and the care provided by the family. The Index was used by the family to indicate the percent of the present burden against 100%, the imagined maximum.


RESULTS
The Burden Index decreased at first as the family became accustomed to daily activities, then increased within 30 days due to the deterioration of patients' condition and increased caring chores and anxiety of the family. Factors affecting the Burden Index were complicated by caring factors such as habituation, anxiety, caring chores, cooperation of other family members, and factors of patients' conditions such as pain, consciousness level, and fever.


CONCLUSIONS
Monitoring the burden of the family was useful in evaluating the patients' environment at home, and in reconsidering the management of the terminal care at home.
Kakuta
M
M
Home Nursing Team, Tazawako Municipal Hospital.
Takahashi
E
E
Adachi
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D013727:Terminal Care