Experiences and sense of family caregivers of patient in oncology palliative care

Abstract

Cancer and its treatment have a major influence on patients and their relatives. This study aimed to find the experience and feelings of caregivers’ family members of cancer patients in palliative care. This is a descriptive research with a qualitative approach, involving six family caregivers of cancer patients in palliative care, attached to the system home from Londrina/Parana. Data were collected from July to August of 2008, through semi-structured interview recorded. Using the Analysis Content from Bardin to categorize the speeches collected. The categories highlighted were the caregiver's trajectory in front of the terminal disease and perceptions of caring about the situation, with the subcategories: From diagnosis to palliative care at home; as a synonym for Cancer death and suffering; changes in the daily caregiver, and Dependence patient's childish, the death as will of God and the front Feelings suffering. The results indicate the importance of the professionals to consider patient and caregiver health as the unit of care, because the family caregiver is a fundamental key in the final stages of the disease and is subject to feelings of fear, anguish and helplessness in the face of the proximity the death of the person to whom directs the care.