Being a Next of Kin—Experiences of Burden and Quality of Life

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DOI: 10.4236/ojn.2014.44032    3,856 Downloads   5,629 Views  Citations

ABSTRACT

Aim and Objectives: To increase the understanding of next of kin’s life situation in the context of supporting persons who are long term ill, disabled and/or older by describing their experienced burden and quality of life and also the relationship between QoL, burden and socioeconomic variables. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive and correlative design. Eighty-four next of kin answered two questionnaires: the Caregiver Burden Scale and the Subjective Quality of Life. Results: Next of kin experienced a high burden in their life situation although they, at the same time, experienced a good quality of life. In the results gender differences were found. Females next of kin to a higher extent were disappointed, more emotionally involved, and they also estimated their economic situation as more unsatisfactory than the males next of kin. Conclusion: Healthcare personnel meet next of kin, persons in need of care, within all healthcare and social care in society. Therefore it is important to have a general knowledge and ability to understand the next of kin’s life situation, thus making it possible to focus the nursing interventions on individual support regardless of the care receiver’s diagnosis.

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Liedström, E. , Kihlgren, A. , Skovdahl, K. and Windahl, J. (2014) Being a Next of Kin—Experiences of Burden and Quality of Life. Open Journal of Nursing, 4, 275-286. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2014.44032.

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