Impact of Penny Brohn UK's Living Well Course on Informal Caregivers of People with Cancer

Abstract

Objectives: This study evaluated the change in the concerns, wellbeing and lifestyle behaviours of informal caregivers of people with cancer attending Penny Brohn UK's Living Well Course (LWC), a self-management education intervention. Design: A pre-post-course design collected self-reported quantitative and qualitative data from informal caregivers attending a LWC. Setting/Location: Penny Brohn UK is a UK based charity (not-for-profit) providing specialist integrative, whole person support, free of charge, to people affected by cancer. Subjects: Informal caregivers taking part in a Penny Brohn UK LWC between June 2014 and May 2016 attending alongside the person with cancer. Intervention:The LWC is a structured 15 hour, multi-modal group self-management educational course, designed to help people affected by cancer learn tools and techniques related to the physical health of the person with cancer (40%). 87% of responding informal caregivers stated the LWC enabled health self-management. Conclusions:The LWC was followed by an improvement in informal caregivers' concerns, and increased self-management of their own health needs. More studies, with larger sample size, are needed to explore if better self-management by informal caregivers may also lead to improvements in patients' health and wellbeing.

Psychological interventions to enhance positive outcomes in adult cancer caregivers: A systematic review

“…Post-traumatic growth refers to a feeling of growth experienced by the person as a result of a traumatic experience (i.e. cancer of a loved one), expressed through changes to the person’s self-perception, relationship with others and life philosophy (Tedeschi and and Calhoun, 1996) and self-compassion refers to the ability to treat oneself with kindness and acceptance when going through difficult life events (Neff and Dahm, 2015) Finally, well-being is a multidimensional term including emotional, physical and spiritual aspects, such as having one’s own and their loved one’s emotional needs addressed, having adequate nutrition and exercise habits, and finding a meaning in life (Jolliffe et al, 2018).…”

Expectations of Patients and Their Informal Caregivers from an Integrative Oncology Consultation

“…Limited qualitative research has shown that patients with advanced lung cancer and their family caregivers include complementary and alternative medicine among the main strategies being used for coping with their illness, 11 and that informal caregivers are interested in obtaining reliable information on lifestyle changes, including stress management, proper nutrition and relaxation techniques, for both the patient and for themselves. 12…”

“…Limited qualitative research has shown that patients with advanced lung cancer and their family caregivers include complementary and alternative medicine among the main strategies being used for coping with their illness, 11 and that informal caregivers are interested in obtaining reliable information on lifestyle changes, including stress management, proper nutrition and relaxation techniques, for both the patient and for themselves. 12 Many cancer centers offer Integrative Oncology services, in which non-conventional medical therapies are provided within the center's supportive and palliative cancer care setting. 13,14 These services are headed by medical doctors with training and experience in CM and who integrate these practices in their therapeutic repertoire, and are commonly referred to as "integrative physicians" (IPs).…”