Challenges Experienced by and Quality of Life of Relatives of Cancer Patients Requiring Palliative Care at Home

OBJECTIVE The aim of this descriptive study was to determine challenges experienced by and quality of life of relatives of cancer patients requiring palliative care at home. METHODS This research was conducted with the relatives of patients hospitalized in the palliative care service. Data collection tools used in the study were the "Questionnaire to Assess Challenges of Home Care Providers" and the "Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer Scale" (CQOLC). RESULTS Mean age of the caregivers was 44.4±13.2. Of them, 50% were women. Of the women, 61.7% were housewives. Of all caregivers, 75% had difficulty fulfilling their responsibilities, 53.3% experienced problems in maintaining family relationships, 96.7% did not utilize home care services, and 43% did not receive information about home care. The caregivers also had trouble managing the following issues: pain (80%), nausea/vomiting (70%), defecation (56.7%), and mobility (35%). Mean CQOLC score of the caregivers was 49.7. Mean score on subscales of the CQOLC was 21.58 on the burden subscale, 39.7 on the disruptiveness subscale, 57.7 on the financial concern subscale, and 116.1 on the positive adaptation subscale. Respondents' quality of life was generally low. CONCLUSION Palliative care team should be aware of the needs of caregivers and provide support. Expanding the scope and content of palliative and home healthcare services, improving the quality of these services, and organizing well-educated teams in this branch will better meet the needs of patients and their caregivers and promote their quality of life.