The needs of families who care for patients with cancer at home: are we meeting them?

A diagnosis of cancer in a family member has an impact on the entire unit. A study was conducted to determine needs perceived by families as they met the care requirements of such patients, to assess how families coped with these needs and to determine the resources they utilized. Families were selected from a stratified random sampling of patients who were receiving treatment at a local cancer clinic. Classification was by sex and site of disease. Families were interviewed in their homes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Chi-square test of independence was conducted on selective qualitative variables. Eighty-three family members consisting of 43 males and 40 females with average ages 53 and 54 years respectively participated in the investigation. Families needed assistance with the physical care of patients. As many as 31% of them were coping poorly with this area of care. There were also several unmet needs in the psychosocial domain. The need most frequently expressed by families was for a place where they could turn to discuss their fears. Nineteen (23%) of the families knew of community services they could call on for assistance. Only seven (8%) of the families had utilized these services. These results suggest that fresh approaches might be needed in order to achieve our goal of family-focused care.