Preparedness of Caregivers of Cancer Patients to Provide Care

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the preparedness of individuals providing care for cancer patients.METHODSThis cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with 203 Turkish cancer family caregivers in January-March 2019. The person who spent the longest time with the patient was chosen as the caregiver. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the “Caregiver Introductory Form” and “Preparedness Scale of the Family Care Inventory”. The scale consisted of eight items, the total score range is 0-32. Higher scores indicate that the caregiver feels more prepared for their role. Data were evaluated by independent groups t-test and one-way analysis of variance test.RESULTSThe average age of caregivers was 46.86±13.8; most of them were female (64.5%). Caregivers’ mean score of preparedness to provide care was 27.03±6.05. Caregivers’ with moderate economic status were more ready to provide care than those with poor economic status (p