Targeting Communication Interventions to Decrease Caregiver Burden

Abstract

Objectives The goal of this paper was to articulate and describe family communication patterns that give shape to four types of family caregivers: Manager, Carrier, Partner, and Loner. Data Sources Case studies of oncology family caregivers and hospice patients were selected from data collected as part of a larger, randomized controlled trial aimed at assessing family participation in interdisciplinary team meetings. Conclusion Each caregiver type demonstrates essential communication traits with nurses and team members; an ability to recognize these caregiver types will facilitate targeted interventions to decrease family oncology caregiver burden. Implications for Nursing Practice By becoming familiar with caregiver types, oncology nurses will be better able to address family oncology caregiver burden and the conflicts arising from family communication challenges. With an understanding of family communication patterns and its impact on caregiver burden, nurses can aid patient, family, and team to best optimize all quality of life domains for patient as well as the lead family caregiver.

Application of the VALUE Communication Principles in ACTIVE Hospice Team Meetings

“…At least one member of the research team was present for each ACTIVE team meeting, allowing for video-and/or audio-recording of communication between the hospice team and family caregivers. Additional methodological details and emerging findings [16][17][18] related to the ongoing randomized controlled trial of the ACTIVE intervention have been made available elsewhere.…”

Understanding Family Caregiver Communication to Provide Family-Centered Cancer Care

“…6 Previously, we have written about four family caregiver communication types: Manager, Carrier, Partner, and Lone caregivers. 3,7 Figure 1 illustrates each caregiver type based on a family communication pattern.…”

Family caregiver communication in oncology: advancing a typology

“…Second, the family communication pattern was used to identify a specific caregiver type (see Table ). In previous studies, Family Communication Patterns Theory was extended to develop constructs of caregiver types . For example, dyads with a protective family communication pattern revealed Carrier Caregivers.…”

“…In this initial study, 25% of the sample was oncology caregivers. To ensure that the typology was relevant to the cancer population, in‐depth case studies were also conducted and published . This work, establishing a caregiver typology, identified four types of caregiver ( Manager /high conversation‐high conformity; Carrrier /low conversation‐high conformity; Partner /high conversation‐low conformity; and Lone /low conversation‐low conformity), as emerging from pre‐existing patterns in a family communication environment (see Figure ).…”