Abstract
Aim and Objectives: To increase the understanding of next of kin’s life situation in the context of supporting persons who are long term ill, disabled and/or older by describing their experienced burden and quality of life and also the relationship between QoL, burden and socioeconomic variables. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive and correlative design. Eighty-four next of kin answered two questionnaires: the Caregiver Burden Scale and the Subjective Quality of Life. Results: Next of kin experienced a high burden in their life situation although they, at the same time, experienced a good quality of life. In the results gender differences were found. Females next of kin to a higher extent were disappointed, more emotionally involved, and they also estimated their economic situation as more unsatisfactory than the males next of kin. Conclusion: Healthcare personnel meet next of kin, persons in need of care, within all healthcare and social care in society. Therefore it is important to have a general knowledge and ability to understand the next of kin’s life situation, thus making it possible to focus the nursing interventions on individual support regardless of the care receiver’s diagnosis.
Highlights
Over the fifty years the care needs will increase in most parts of the world due to changes in fertility and life expectancy, combined with changes in the number of persons with severe chronic illnesses, disabilities and/or older age
The of kin had been caring for the care receiver from two months to 39 years, and from one to 168 hours week
The results show that the of kin experienced a high burden, they at the same time experienced a good quality of life
Summary
Over the fifty years the care needs will increase in most parts of the world due to changes in fertility and life expectancy, combined with changes in the number of persons with severe chronic illnesses, disabilities and/or older age. Sweden has a population of nine million people of which 18% aged 18 and over give care to a person with long term illness, disabilities and/or are older. A long-term illness or disability affects the person in need of care, and his/her of kin. To most people, giving care to another person is self-evident. It may be seen as a valuable part of being human [7]
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