Whittingham, Katharine

Heart failure (HF) is a life-limiting condition with a poor prognosis and unpredictable disease trajectory. HF brings physical and emotional challenges for patients and their carers. Predominantly the informal carer population consists of older females, however, caring is evolving as longevity increases and complex conditions are becoming more commonplace. Consequently, more men and younger people are contributing to daily care. The aim of this study was to explore the positive as well as negative dimensions of caring in HF across a range of carer characteristics.

AIM: To reflect on the methodological challenges of conducting a study exploring the effects on quality of life of being an informal carer for a person with palliative heart failure, as well as the factors that influence a carer's perception of caring.

BACKGROUND: There are multi-faceted influences on the positive and negative effects of being a carer for a patient with palliative heart failure. By conducting a mixed methods study the aim was to examine and explore similarities and differences of the phenomenon of being a carer.