Caregiver Burden and Workplace Productivity Among Hospice Cancer Caregivers

To examine the relationships among family caregiver burden and workplace productivity and activity impairment among home hospice family caregivers of individuals with cancer who worked while providing end-of-life caregiving.

Baseline data from a longitudinal study of communication between hospice providers and hospice family caregivers were used for this secondary analysis.

Working family caregivers with complete workplace productivity and activity impairment data were included in this analysis (N = 30). Demographic data, caregiver burden, and workplace productivity and activity impairment were examined with descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and hierarchical linear regressions.

Hospice family caregivers were primarily White, female, married, and employed full-time. Caregiver burden levels were significantly positively associated with activity impairment, presenteeism, and work productivity loss. These relationships remained statistically significant when controlling for age.

Hospice and oncology nurses can support working hospice family caregivers by assessing for burden and associated workplace challenges, as well as by providing referrals for respite and community resources.