Being a caregiver in the palliative care unit in the pandemic: Who can do it better?

Abstract

Background: During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, palliative care units and nursing homes became risky in terms of infection transmission. The measures that are taken in the general population have also been strictly applied for caregivers. However, to achieve success, the personal compliance of the caregivers is as important as setting the rules. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic characteristics, knowledge levels, and attitudes towards the measures taken for pandemics of the caregivers who were caring for their patients in the palliative care unit. It was also attempted to evaluate the relationship between these parameters and their quality of life (QOL). Methods: The level of knowledge and the level of agreement with the measures with questions prepared by three physicians working in the palliative care unit were assessed in this study. The QOL was also evaluated using the 3-level version of EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L). Results: Education, employment, smoking, as well as parental and marital status, were found to be related to a high level of knowledge. It has been shown that the level of knowledge is higher in female caregivers and those who were caregiving for less than three years. The caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients were also revealed to know more about the COVID-19 pandemic. Single, male, employed, smoking, and experienced less than three years caregivers were seemed to have a higher level of agreement with the measures. In addition, it was concluded that the QOL was positively correlated with the level of knowledge and negatively correlated with the compliance of the measures. Conclusion: It is essential to know the characteristics and beliefs of the caregivers in pandemic management in palliative care; accordingly, more studies should be conducted on this issue.