Characterizing In-Home Caregivers of Patients under Palliative Healthcare

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the social profile of oncology patient caregivers assisted by the Palliative Care Team of the Home Care System of Londrina (PR) between January and July 2008, as well as review how healthcare is prepared and activities are developed by caregivers. The study sample consisted of 35 caregivers and the data were processed and analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 11.5 for Windows. 85.7% of the caregivers were women whose average age was 53. Most of the caregivers had children (88.6%); were Evangelical (48.6%) or Catholic (45.7%); had a life partner (77.1%), a job (60.0%) and had between 1-4 (37.1%) or 9-11 (34.3%) years of schooling. They became caregivers due to lack of another option (42.8%) or by their own choice (40.0%). They had been working in the field for an average of 18 months. Their service included heavy lifting (88.5%) specific care tasks (80.0%) and related domestic activities for the patients (94.2%). 85.7% suffered physical pain and 45.7% had moments of recreation. 51.4% preferred patient death would occur at home. They felt prepared both to give care (74.3%) and to deal with patient death at home (57.2%). The in-home caregiver felt prepared for both domestic care and death, despite performing heavy-duty and complex services besides domestic services, feeling body pain and having few leisure activities. To understand the characteristics of these workers is fundamental to design and carry out qualified in-home palliative care.