Effects of guiding informal caregivers of terminal cancer patients who stay at home, by district nurses who are specialized in palliative care / oncology.

Within the scope of the present study, the effects of a guiding programme for informal caregivers of terminal cancer patients who stay at home will be examined. The intervention is carried out by district nurses who are specialized in palliatiev care / oncology.

The purpose of the study is twofold:
- first, to develop a training programme for district nurses, concerning the guidance of informal caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients who stay at home, and
- second, to measure the effects of an experimental nursing intervention that is put into practice by the nurses who followed the training programme.

The district nurses visit the informal caregivers in the experimental group four times during one hour, over a period of six weeks. The nurses evaluate the situation of the informal caregiver and the patient. On the basis of this information, they assess what kind of information and support the informal caregiver needs. By doing so, guidance can be provided with regard to the needs of the individual caregiver and with regard to the specific caregiving tasks of thr informal caregiver in view of the patient's situation.

Outcome measures are:

1. Satisfaction of the informal caregivers with the care provided to them and the patient they take care of;

2. Burden perceived by the informal caregivers;

3. Health of the informal caregivers;

4. The use of health care facilities by both the informal caregiver and the patient.

Informal caregivers in the experimental group are expected to be more satisfied with the care provided to them and the patient they take care of, to experience a less heavy burden, and to have a better health compared to the informal caregivers who are assigned to the control group and will receive standard care.

N/A

Four one-hour home visits by district nurses who are specialized in palliative care / oncology over a period of six weeks, in order to support informal caregivers in handling problems they are faced with when taking care of a terminally ill cancer patient.

Next to the visits of the district nurses, informal caregivers in the experimental group receive written information about self-care for informal caregivers and contact with other informal caregivers. They also receive information about national and local organizations involved in the care for informal caregivers.