THE EFFECTS OF CARE-GIVING UPON FAMILY MEMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TREATED IN THE PALLIATIVE CARE UNIT: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract

Care giving family members are individuals who are directly involved in the care of a life-threatening patient, often facing a wide range of tasks, such as physical care, providing emotional support, and taking part in the treatment process. This research was carried out to determine effects of care-giving upon family members of individuals who are treated in the palliative care unit. This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was conducted with a total of 16 family members who had been taking primary care of patients for at least three months and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected in 35-40 minutes by face-to-face interview with a semi-structured interview form. Colaizzi’s phenomenological data analysis method was used in the evaluation of the data, and 5 themes were determined. Family members participating in the research stated that they experienced physiological problems such as pain, sleep problems and fatigue; psychological problems such as stress and fear; economic problems due to job losses and treatment costs; social problems for reasons such as isolation and problems in family relations such as change in roles and communication disruption. As a result of the research, it was determined that especially all of the family members had psychological and social problems. The problems and needs of family members should be questioned in clinical settings, and they should be directed to support units.