癌症病人之主要照顧者的照顧負荷

Primary Caregiver Burden in Cancer Patients

李英芬(In-Fun Li)

《馬偕護理雜誌》 1卷2期 (2007/07) Pp. 7-15

摘要

當病人被診斷為癌症時，病人和家屬都會受到衝擊，特別在華人文化中，家中有人生病其照顧的責任就要由家族成員擔任，而病人也會依賴家屬的照顧。多樣化的照顧工作和多重之角色扮演會讓主要照顧者產生壓力與照顧負荷，而照顧負荷則造成主要照顧者之睡眠困擾、疲倦、疼痛、焦慮、憂鬱、個人時間的安排、工作調整、家庭經濟等生理、心理及社會層面的影響，當照顧負荷如果太高會影響照顧者之角色功能，進而影響病人照顧成效，而與照顧負荷相關的因素包括有照顧者性別、年齡，病人的身體功能、症狀嚴重程度、照顧時間長短以及照顧者社會支持。護理人員如能對照顧負荷的概念以更清楚的認識，進而關心他們在面臨癌症帶來衝擊時的照顧角色的扮演，協助他們降低照顧負荷，進而提升整體癌症照顧之品質。

關鍵字

主要照顧者 ； 照顧負荷

並列摘要

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, it is not the patient alone but also the family who suffer. In Chinese culture, it is expected that family members will shoulder the responsibility for providing care. This, however, can be such a burden for the caregiver that it becomes overwhelming, with adverse consequences for both the patient and caregiver. Much of the pressure comes from the multiple roles a primary caregiver must play in meeting diverse demands created by the illness. This may adversely affect the physical and psychological state of the caregiver, at a time when they are less able to avail themselves of normal social support structures. Caregivers may note sleep disturbance, fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression, as well as difficulty finding personal time, adjusting work schedules, and seeing to the family's economic needs. If this burden becomes too heavy for the caregiver, then the patient's care will also suffer. The factors related to caregiver's burden include caregiver's gender, caregiver's age, patient's functional status, patient's symptom status, period of care, and caregiver's social support. If nurse can understand caregiver's needs and can help to alleviate the caregiver's load, then the quality of care for patients with cancer will likely improve.

並列關鍵字

primary caregiver ； caregiving burden