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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe the relationship among care receiver dependency, caregiver factors, family support, and family caregiver burden.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to describe the important predictors of family caregiver burden.
Subjects: There were 110 family caregivers recruited from medical and surgical units of one Midwest Medical Centers. The mean age of family caregivers was 54.02 years. The majority of caregivers were wife, daughter and husband. The mean age of patients was 64.68 years. The top four symptoms that patients had were fatigue, pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
Methods: A multivariate descriptive design was used to describe the relationships among care receiver dependency, caregiver factors, family support, and family caregiver burden. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Information on patients’ ADLs and symptoms were obtained from family caregiver report.
Results: The findings indicated that there were significant positive relationships between family caregiver burden and the following variables: family caregiver age, patients’ symptoms and ADL dependency, and lack of family support. There were significant negative relationships between family caregiver burden and the following variables: psychological well-being, quality of relationship and caregiving knowledge. In Multiple Regression, the model variables accounted for 33% of the variance in family caregiver burden. Patients’ symptoms, caregiving knowledge, and lack of family support are significant predictors of family caregiver burden. In Multiple Regression, the model variables accounted for 42% of the variance in perception of caregiver burden. Lack of family support and quality of relationship are significant predictors of perception of caregiver burden.
Conclusion: It is vital for nurses to assess family caregivers’ needs and resources and the quality of the patient-family caregiver relationship, and nursing education in developing a plan of care that reduces family caregiver burden.
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