Family Caregiver Reactions and Related Factors among Taiwanese with Hospitalized Relatives

Aim. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among family carer reactions and their related factors among Taiwanese with hospitalized relatives.

Background . In Taiwan, most hospitalized patients have relatives or foreign labourers with them 24 hours a day. Limited research has focused on the reactions of family members who provide care for hospitalized relatives.

Methods . A cross-sectional, correlation design was used. A convenience sample of 200 primary carers of hospitalized patients diagnosed with cancer, stroke, and enduring illness was recruited between 2009 and 2010. Data were collected by structured questionnaires.

Results . The findings indicate that participants with a moderate level of family support experienced a moderate impact on health and finances, but a high impact on schedule. Family carers’ health status and work time were significantly different between, before and after serving as a carer. The multiple regression model variables accounted for 40·1% of the total family carer reaction variance. Three factors were found to predict significantly greater impact on a family carer: (1) lower scores of caregiving knowledge, (2) increasing patient’s activities of daily living dependency and (3) lack of family support.

Conclusion . It is vital for nurses not only to assess patients’ activities of daily living, but also to assess family carers’ knowledge of caregiving and the patient’s existing family support in developing a plan of care that reduces negative impact on family carers.