[Terminal care at home and the burden on the family]

To assess the burden on families who care for a patients in the terminal stage of cancer at home.

Family members caring for three terminal patients at home completed the Burden Index every ten days and compared it with the patient's physical condition and the care provided by the family. The Index was used by the family to indicate the percent of the present burden against 100%, the imagined maximum.

The Burden Index decreased at first as the family became accustomed to daily activities, then increased within 30 days due to the deterioration of patients' condition and increased caring chores and anxiety of the family. Factors affecting the Burden Index were complicated by caring factors such as habituation, anxiety, caring chores, cooperation of other family members, and factors of patients' conditions such as pain, consciousness level, and fever.

Monitoring the burden of the family was useful in evaluating the patients' environment at home, and in reconsidering the management of the terminal care at home.