Caring for the caregiver: a systematic review characterising the experience of caregivers of older adults with advanced cancers

ESMO Open

article

Jacob J. Adashek¹  Ishwaria M. Subbiah² 

[1] University of South Florida;Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

关键词: informal caregiving;    geriatric oncology;    cancer caregiving;    palliative care;    supportive oncology;   

DOI  :  10.1136/esmoopen-2020-000862

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: BMJ Publishing Group

【 摘 要 】

The steady advances in oncology bring a host of therapeutic options for older adults (≤65 years old) with cancer. As these patients experience this proliferation of anticancer therapies, their caregivers too have witnessed their role rapidly expanding and evolving as they care for these individuals. To better understand the caregiver experience, a review of the current literature on informal caregiving and cancer caregiving was conducted. These informal caregivers are often individuals with a strong personal connection to the person with advanced cancer, such as a close relative, spouse/partner or friend. Caregivers provide a broad range of assistance with most aspects of day-to-day life. However, we have limited knowledge of the impact of this role on the caregivers themselves, particularly in the context of an older adult patient and their unique needs. Here, we explore the data on caregiver experience when caring for a person with advanced cancers—specifically, we characterise the symptom burden and effects on the caregiver well-being with emphasis on the care of older adults with cancer.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC BY-NC-ND