Quality of life and satisfaction of family caregivers in palliative care - results of postmortem interviews with bereaved family members

Quality of life and satisfaction of family caregivers in palliative care - results of postmortem interviews with bereaved family members Introduction: Family caregivers play an important role in palliative care. However, the number of studies focussing on the quality of life of these family caregivers is limited. The current study evaluates quality of life and satisfaction with medical care in bereaved family members. Material and Methods: Comparisons were made between (1) male vs. female family caregivers (N = 44) and (2) bereaved family caregivers vs. general population (EORTC QLQ-C30). Furthermore, the satisfaction of the family caregivers with medical care was assessed after the death of their relatives (ZUF HOPE). The interviews were conducted between six and eight weeks following the death of the palliative patients. Results: Regarding quality of life, bereaved family caregivers suffered from both reduced emotional functioning and general quality of life. Female caregivers had lower functional values and stronger symptoms of insomnia, fatigue and pain than male caregivers. Bereaved family caregivers had a lower quality of life than the general population. Retrospectively, family caregivers were very satisfied with most aspects of outpatient palliative care. The only aspect criticised by the the bereaved family members was a lack of psycho-social support. Conclusion: Family caregivers need stronger support in order to prevent burnout and to improve outpatient care. In this context, gender differences must also be considered.