Caregivers' differing needs across key experiences of the advanced cancer disease trajectory.
OBJECTIVE
Familial caregivers are providing increasing amounts of care to advanced cancer patients. Increased understanding of caregivers' needs is vital in providing necessary support to lessen caregiver burden and morbidity. Current literature has identified caregiver and patient needs at broad stages of the cancer trajectory; however, such broad stages may be too general to inform a practice of targeting specific interventions when they have the greatest utility. This study examines a variety of particular needs across a number of more discrete illness-related transition experiences specifically in the advanced cancer disease trajectory.


METHODS
One hundred fifty-nine female informal caregivers of people with advanced cancer completed a needs assessment survey.


RESULTS
Analyses of these cross-sectional retrospective-report data reveal that cancer caregiver needs vary across specific key experiences occurring within the broader stages of illness identified by current literature. Furthermore, caregivers have unique needs during bereavement.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the sample characteristics are demographically limited, this study provides preliminary evidence that the broad stages are not specific enough increments for effectively examining caregiver needs and supports the need for more precise distribution of cancer-related information at more discrete times in the illness course.
DuBenske
Lori L
LL
Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. lori.dubenske@chess.wisc.edu
Wen
Kuang-Yi
KY
Gustafson
David H
DH
Guarnaccia
Charles A
CA
Cleary
James F
JF
Dinauer
Susan K
SK
McTavish
Fiona M
FM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001601:Bereavement; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012944:Social Support