Caregiver burden of terminally-ill adults in the home setting

A caregiver is an unpaid person, typically a family member or friend, who helps an ill person with the physical care and management of a disease. The task of care-giving results in additional responsibilities on the caregiver's daily life, and occupies the caregiver's time, energy, and attention, which is demanding and complex. The burden from care-giving, when prolonged, might affect the physical health of caregivers, causing symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, leading to a negative impact on their capacity for social engagement. This information sheet focuses on the best available evidence on factors that influence caregiver burden of the terminally-ill person, and provides some recommendations for practice.