Quality of life of family caregivers and challenges faced in caring for patients with lung cancer
Open accessAbstract
Family caregivers (FCGs) of patients with lung cancer face multiple challenges that affect their quality of life and well-being. Whether challenged physically, emotionally, socially, or spiritually, distress in one area may compound challenges in other areas. To maintain function and health of FCGs as they provide valuable care for the health and well-being of the patient, attention must be given to the needs of FCGs for support and education. The purpose of this article is to describe the multifaceted challenges that FCGs of patients with lung cancer experience using case studies selected from a National Cancer Institute-funded program project. The cases are discussed in terms of how the FCG's quality of life is impacted by the caregiver role, as well as how stressors in one or more domains of quality of life compound difficulties in coping with the demands of the role. The importance of the oncology nurse's assessment of FCGs' needs for support, education, and self-care through the lung cancer illness trajectory is discussed while presenting accessible community resources to meet those needs.
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Previous research by the authors suggests that lung cancer family caregivers experience significant psychological distress, higher caregiver burden, and decreased QOL related to caregiving.
“Our previous research suggests that lung cancer family caregivers experience significant psychological distress, higher caregiver burden, and decreased QOL related to their caregiving role.8–11”
From A Multimedia Self-management Intervention to Prepare Cancer Patients and Family Caregivers for Lung Surgery and Postoperative Recovery (2017) · cites this paper as [8]
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- Authors
- Fujinami, R., Otis-Green, S., Klein, L., Sidhu, R., & Ferrell, B.
- Affiliations
- City Of Hope National Medical Center (US)
- Venue
- Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing
- Publisher
- Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)
- Published
- 2012-11-23
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- E210-E220
- ISSN
- 1092-1095 (ISSN-L)
- 1538-067X
- PMC
- PMC3734940
- OpenAlex
- W2040991245
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 4.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Clinical journal of oncology nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Cancer Institute (5 PO1 CA136396-02, P01CA136396)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
- Keywords
- family caregivers, lung cancer, caregiver quality of life, caregiver burden, caregiver stress, caregiver coping, caregiver support, caregiver education, self-care, community resources, illness trajectory
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Palliative Care, Quality of Life, Caregivers, Delivery of Health Care, Integrated
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