Original Article
Enrichment Processes in Family Caregiving at Home for Terminally Ill Cancer
2009 Volume 23 Issue 1 Pages 31-43
Details
2009 Volume 23 Issue 1 Pages 31-43
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to make clear the enrichment that family caregivers experience by sharing enriching events with terminally ill cancer patients at home, while gaining positive meaning and satisfaction through these events.
Enrichment has been defined by Archbold and Cartwright as the process of endowing caregiving with meaning or pleasure for both caregiver and care recipients. It enhances the positive qualities of the mutual relationship and is associated with reducing some dimensions of caregiver role strain.
Data was collected from 15 caregivers and 13 terminally ill cancer patients at home introduced by home care stations, and by semi-structured interviews in their homes or in a hospital. The data was analyzed qualitatively and inductively through three stages: antecedent factors, enriching events, and consequences.
The enriching events occur as a result of the long interpersonal history and relationship between patients and caregivers. The enriching events have 4 categories (events arising from continuation of customary routines, events where the routine is adapted, developing greater closeness in the terminal phase, and meaningful events even if only done once), and includes 9 reasons for significance attached (return to daily happiness, sharing pleasure and joy, making the most of remaining time together, mutual reassurance, confirming that the patient is in the best condition possible, mutual recognition of shared life, focusing on the patient’s life, sharing memories of their life, reconfirm the dignity and self respect of the patient). Family caregivers gained meaning and identity from caregiving (maintaining their normal life, strengthened relationship, putting their emotions in order, and reaffirming reasons for being) through the enriching events.
These results suggested that family caregivers to terminally ill cancer patients can overcome grief through gaining positive thinking and emotional enrichment. This is why nursing support is necessary to promote value and meaning in the lives of the terminally ill.
