The burden of caring | ScienceGate

Abstract Objective It is well known that the burden on the families of cancer patient extends across many aspects, but there have been no reports of family members developing delirium due to the burden of caring for a cancer patient. Methods We reported a caregiver who developed Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) while caring for a family member with advanced cancer. Results The subject was a 71-year-old woman who had been caring for her husband, diagnosed with gastric cancer and liver metastases, for 5 months. She visited the “caregivers’ clinic” after referral by an oncologist who was worried about a deterioration in her mental condition that had appeared several weeks previously. The woman had a history of diabetes mellitus. Some giddiness was observed and, based on her inability to answer questions, her level of consciousness was checked and some disorientation was observed. She was diagnosed with delirium. A blood sample was collected to investigate the cause of the delirium, but the test data showed no hypoglycemia. Her appetite had declined since her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Thiamine deficiency was suspected as thiamine stores in the body are depleted within about 18 days and her loss of appetite had continued for 5 months. On intravenous injection of 100 mg of thiamine, her consciousness level was returned to normal in 1 h. A diagnosis of WE was supported by the patient's abnormally low serum thiamine level. Significance of the results The family members of cancer patients may develop a loss of appetite due to the burden of caring, resulting in WE. When providing care for signs of distress in family members, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the psychological aspects but also to their level of consciousness and physical aspects, particularly the possibility of serious illness resulting from reduced nutritional status.

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What motivates informal caregivers of people with dementia (PWD): a qualitative study

BMC Palliative Care ◽

10.1186/s12904-019-0491-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shakiba Zahed ◽

Maryam Emami ◽

Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi ◽

Ahmad Ali Eslami ◽

Majid Barekatain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Quality Of Care ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Motivating Factors ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Thematic Content Analysis ◽

People With Dementia ◽

The Family ◽

Burden Of Caring

Abstract Background The burden of caring for People with Dementia (PWD) is heavy; identifying incentives that motivate them in providing care is essential in facilitating and optimizing care. This study aims to explore and describe these motivating factors. Methods We conducted this qualitative study between January 2016 and January 2017 in Isfahan, Iran. Data were extracted through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 19 caregivers of PWD. These data were then examined through thematic content analysis. Results We identified four categories of psychological motives based on the caregivers’ feedback and experience. These include 1) Moral-based motives, 2) Religious, and spiritual motives; 3) Financial motives, and 4) Wicked motives. Conclusions Our results revealed several aspects of caregivers’ motives. They include moral, religious, and spiritual aspects; sharing housing accommodations, and the likelihood of inheriting a portion of the patient’s assets based on unspoken rules and informal arrangements in the family, and wicked and immoral aspects. These findings can inform future efforts in enhancing the experiences of caregivers of PWD, and subsequently, the quality of care these patients receive. It further suggests that family members, members of a religious and spiritual organization, as well as social media, could play important roles in setting the stage.

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Migration and Religious Refugees

Economics of Faith ◽

10.1093/oso/9780197537732.003.0005 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112-136

Author(s):

Esther Chung-Kim

Keyword(s):

Religious Identity ◽

Financial Burden ◽

Poor Relief ◽

Early Modern Europe ◽

Church Management ◽

City Governments ◽

Set Up ◽

The Impact ◽

Burden Of Caring ◽

Growing Population

One of the biggest impacts on poverty in early modern Europe was migration. As various circumstances and conflicts generated a growing population of religious refugees in many cities, the magnitude of need overwhelmed local poor relief structures. This crisis prompted the development of poor relief outside of civic jurisdiction and prompted the development of separate ways to care for the foreign poor. For example, John a Lasco led a religiously autonomous foreigners’ church in London, where he emphasized commitment to poor relief among the exiles. This chapter examines the religious interpretations of the migration experience, its role in shaping religious identity, and the impact of migration on poor relief. By establishing poor relief systems for refugees, the foreigner churches, or stranger churches, relieved city governments of the additional financial burden of caring for refugees and simultaneously set up a form of church management to aid religious refugees.

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AIDS: The ‘Grandmothers' Disease’ in Southern Africa

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x97216533 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 461-464 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Valerie Møller

Keyword(s):

Older Women ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Economic Effects ◽

Aids Epidemic ◽

The Social ◽

Burden Of Caring ◽

Hiv Aids

In Africa, AIDS is called the grandmothers' disease because the burden of caring for the sick and the survivors falls on older women. The two abstracts which follow report an overview of research on the social and economic effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Southern Africa and a case study of an intervention among older women in a Botswanan village.

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A moral profession: Nurse educators’ selected narratives of care and compassion

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/0969733016687163 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 105-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Roger Newham ◽

Louise Terry ◽

Siobhan Atherley ◽

Sinead Hahessy ◽

Yolanda Babenko-Mould ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Discourse Analysis ◽

Nursing Care ◽

Moral Philosophy ◽

Nurse Educators ◽

Central Component ◽

Moral Vision ◽

Moral Orientation ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Burden Of Caring

Background: Lack of compassion is claimed to result in poor and sometimes harmful nursing care. Developing strategies to encourage compassionate caring behaviours are important because there is evidence to suggest a connection between having a moral orientation such as compassion and resulting caring behaviour in practice. Objective: This study aimed to articulate a clearer understanding of compassionate caring via nurse educators’ selection and use of published texts and film. Methodology: This study employed discourse analysis. Participants and research context: A total of 41 nurse educators working in universities in the United Kingdom (n = 3), Ireland (n = 1) and Canada (n = 1) completed questionnaires on the narratives that shaped their understanding of care and compassion. Findings: The desire to understand others and how to care compassionately characterised educators’ choices. Most narratives were examples of kindness and compassion. A total of 17 emphasised the importance of connecting with others as a central component of compassionate caring, 10 identified the burden of caring, 24 identified themes of abandonment and of failure to see the suffering person and 15 narratives showed a discourse of only showing compassion to those ‘deserving’ often understood as the suffering person doing enough to help themselves. Discussion: These findings are mostly consistent with work in moral philosophy emphasising the particular or context and perception or vision as well as the necessity of emotions. The narratives themselves are used by nurse educators to help explicate examples of caring and compassion (or its lack). Conclusion: To feel cared about people need to feel ‘visible’ as though they matter. Nurses need to be alert to problems that may arise if their ‘moral vision’ is influenced by ideas of desert and how much the patient is doing to help himself or herself.

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