A profile of bereaved caregivers following provision of terminal care

Caregivers are often overwhelmed by the strain of terminal caregiving. We wished to better understand the needs of terminal caregivers and to supply a basis for tailoring interventions to them during caregiving and early bereavement. This report provides a profile of 124 bereaved caregivers interviewed within three months of their patient's death. Three quarters were female and married to the patient. Four major areas were assessed: psycho-spiritual, personal-social, health status, and financial status. Caregivers reported higher than average depressive symptomatology (mean CES-D = 17.6), moderate levels of positive outlook, low negative reactions to caring, and relatively high levels of spirituality. Caregivers were highly involved in their patient's activities of daily living, providing an average of 10.8 hours/day of direct care and 8.9 hours/day of companionship. Caregivers reported low utilization of health services and relatively high personal health status. 45% of the sample reported lower income since the patient's death and 44% reported out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance. Suggestions for interventions that target emotional, physical, and financial concerns are discussed.