Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to describe the meanng of being family-caregivers of cancer patients and life-change in taking on the role of family-caregivers based on caregivers' perceptions. Since they were aware of taking on the role of caregivers until the moment that they were the informants by applying qualitative research method based on theoretical sampling of 12 informants.The research result showed that the family-caregivers had described the meaning of being family-caregivers cancer paticents in 4 dimensions 1) it was the time to return the favor to the patients, 2) they could take care of the patients better than somebody else who was not the members of the family, 3) it was the sympathy, understanding and willingness in taking care of the patients, and 4) it was their responsibility.The life-change in taking on the role family-caregivers, since the time they had become aware of taking on the role of family-caregivers, could be put into 5 categories as follows:1. Taking on the role family-caregivers and taking care of the patients both at home and hospital. It was found that the family-caregivers could cope with these changes by 3 strategies 1) trying to understand and adapt themselves in being family-caregivers, 2) preparing their physical, mind and knowledge, and 3) taking care of the patients continuously. By these three strategies, the results showed that the family-caregivers had closer relationship with the patients and were proud of themselves. They had enhanced their will-power for ongoing their living and continuous caring for the patients, as well as enhancing parients' s will-power.2. Lacking of self-care, privacy, and future. It was found that the family-caregivers could cope with these changes by 3 strategies 1) reviewing and aiming the target of their lives, 2) taking care of their health, and 3) managing their time and having someone else taking care of the patients. By these three strategies, the result showed that the family-caregivers had reviewed the situation of being family-caregivers lives, as well as their more private time.3. Anxiety and fear of losing the patients. It was found that the family-caregivers could cope with these changes by 4 strategies 1) understanding and accepting the illness, 2) distracting from the anxiety by replacing other activities, 3) accepting the losing of patients in the future, and 4) relaxing their mind. By these four strategies, the result showed that the family-caregivers accepted the illness and accepted the loss before facing with it, as well as relived from the anxiety. 4. Losing the money, collected money and income. It was found that the family-caregivers could cope with these changes by 2 strategies 1) coordinating with the patients in using the right from health service obtained by health welfare card or health insurance card, and 2) finding the money support from other relatives. By these two strategies, the result whowed that the family-caregivers received the money support.5. Physical and psychological exhaustion from overload of activities. It was found that the family-caregivers could cope with these changes by 5 strategies 1) recalling the goodness of patients and recalling the impressed experience that they had done with the patients, 2) building will-power for themselves, 3) seeking will-power from other relatives, 4) consulting with other family-caregivers, and 5) mutually exchanging and enhancing the will-power. By these five strategies, the result showed that the family-caregivers had the understanding, foregiveness and sympathy for the patients and they wanted to be family-caregivers of cancer patients contunuously. The researcher suggested that the nursing professionals and others should 1) hold up the activities that family-caregivers would have the opportunity to exchange their meaning of being family-caregivers by emphasizing on opsitive meaning, 2) provide the consultant on the adaptation in taking the role of family-caregivers, 3) improve the information giving style and skills of caring to build the understanding and confidence of the family-caregivers, 4) hold up the activities that the family-caregivers would have expressed their feeling and help them to cope with the life-change effectively, 5) encourage the other members of the family to understand the family-caregivers in being the social support of family-caregivers, 6) introduce the financial sources to the family-caregivers that was faced with financial problem, and finally, provide policy on family-caregivers care systematically by providing nursing professional the was an expert on family-caregivers of cancer patients nursing especially both in hospital and community, provide a care-giving project for help the family-caregivers to take care of the patients during the daytime, and provide the monthly payment for the family-caregivers or provide care-giving volunteers in taking care of the patients at home.