Glajchen Myra
Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, First Avenue at 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA.
J Support Oncol. 2004 Mar-Apr;2(2):145-55.
Involvement of family caregivers is essential for optimal treatment of cancer patients in ensuring treatment compliance, continuity of care, and social support, particularly at the end of life. The diagnosis of cancer presents a major crisis not only to the patient but also to the patient's primary caregiver. Caregivers often assume this role under sudden and extreme circumstances, with minimal preparation and uneven guidance and support from the healthcare system. The primary setting for the delivery of care to patients with cancer has shifted from the hospital to the home as a result of increased use of outpatient services for cancer treatment, shortened hospital visits, longer survival,and the trend for caregivers to accommodate patients' desire to be cared for at home for as long as possible. Caring for a family member with cancer poses significant challenges, with considerable psychological and physical consequences for the caregiver. Family caregiving has gained attention in the past decade with growing realization that support for family caregivers benefits the caregiver, the patient, and the healthcare team. This article will attempt to provide an understanding of the multifaceted role of caregivers in cancer care, describe the impact of this role on the caregiver's quality of life, impart an understanding of the caregiver's burden and unmet needs, highlight adaptational requirements of caregivers along the disease trajectory, and describe interventions for providing support to nonmedical persons caring for patients with cancer.
家庭照顾者的参与对于癌症患者的最佳治疗至关重要，这有助于确保治疗依从性、护理连续性以及社会支持，尤其是在生命末期。癌症诊断不仅给患者带来重大危机，也给患者的主要照顾者带来重大危机。照顾者通常在突然且极端的情况下承担起这一角色，准备极少，且医疗系统提供的指导和支持参差不齐。由于癌症治疗门诊服务的使用增加、住院时间缩短、生存期延长以及照顾者倾向于尽可能满足患者在家接受护理的愿望，为癌症患者提供护理的主要场所已从医院转移到了家中。照顾患有癌症的家庭成员带来了重大挑战，给照顾者带来了相当大的心理和身体影响。在过去十年中，随着人们越来越认识到对家庭照顾者的支持有利于照顾者、患者和医疗团队，家庭照顾受到了关注。本文将试图让人们了解照顾者在癌症护理中的多方面作用，描述这一角色对照顾者生活质量的影响，使人们了解照顾者的负担和未满足的需求，强调照顾者在疾病发展过程中的适应需求，并描述为照顾癌症患者的非医疗人员提供支持的干预措施。
