| Summary: | 碩士 === 長庚大學 === 護理學研究所 === 90 === Previous studies have shown that primary caregiver presents depression and poor quality of life. All the studies used cross-sectional design and were not conducted in hospice setting where patients were in worse conditions. The purpose of this study is to explore the patterns of changes of quality of life for family caregivers while they join the hospice program. A convenience sample of forty-third caregiver of cancer patients was recruited from a hospice in the northern part of Taiwan. The researcher explained the purpose of study and caregiver had to sign the permit before interview started. Based on longitudinal correlational design, the interviews scheduled as within 24 hours of admission (Time 1), 10th day (Time 2), 28 day after patient deceased (Time 3). All subjects were asked to complete questionnaires related to the demographic and caregiving variables. In addition, they had to complete the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire (TDQ) and Quality of Life Index (QLI) during each interview. At the same time, researcher completed patients-related variables such as: demographic, disease profiles, and functional assessments. The results found that caregivers'' quality of life remained stable during study period. Trends such as: improved family dimension of caregiver''s QOL, increased patients'' QOL, increased self-rated health, decreased depression, and reduced caregiving burden were observed. Caregiver''s QOL was positively correlated with satisfaction with hospice program and physical health status. However, it was negatively correlated with depression. Strategies such as: assessing health and emotional needs of the caregivers, improving the health care and emotional care of caregivers, monitoring pain control and quality of hospice care were suggested as ways to improve the QOL of these caregivers.
Key word: hospice, primary caregiver, quality of life, depression, satisfaction with hospice care
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