Short- and Long Term Effects of a Randomised Psycho-educational Intervention for Family Caregivers in Specialised Palliative Home Care

• Background: Family caregivers in palliative home care often face a heavy responsibility and a burden of caring for a person with incurable illness. Research has showed that there is a need for intervention studies to make family caregivers more prepared and competent for their situation. Aim: To investigate the short- and long-term effects of a randomised psycho-educational intervention for family caregivers in specialised palliative home care. Methods: A psycho-educational intervention with supportive and educative components was designed based on the theoretical framework of Andershed and Ternestedt. Family caregivers from 10 specialised palliative home care units were included. The intervention was delivered as a randomised control trial where family caregivers who agreed to take part in the study were randomised to an intervention group with three sessions or to a control group with standard support. Family caregivers were required to answer to questionnaires at baseline, upon completion and two months following the intervention. The questionnaires comprised instruments concerning family caregivers’ feelings of preparedness, competence, reward, burden, health, anxiety and depression. A regression model based on robust variance estimates was conducted for all tested outcomes. Results: 177 family caregivers completed all three measurements. Results showed that in the short-term follow-up, family caregivers in the intervention group had significantly better self-rated competence for caregiving and experience of health. In the long-term follow-up, the intervention group had significantly better self-rated preparedness for caregiving compared to the control group. Conclusion: The results add to previous research that relatively short psycho-educational interventions could have important positive short- and long-term effects on family caregivers in palliative care.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Övrig annan medicin och hälsovetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Other Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

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