Oral Presentation FCIC Survivorship Conference 2013

Suffering in silence: The impact of cancer on caregivers (#5)

Afaf Girgis 1 , Sylvie Lambert 1
  1. Psycho-oncology Research Group, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, UNSW Sydney, Liverpool, NSW, Australia

Cancer is one of the most common health conditions in receipt of informal caregiving, with the majority of caregivers reporting taking on the role of caring because of the family responsibility and there being little choice or no one else to provide the care. For some, caregiving can extend for several years and become equivalent to a full time job, with significant consequent health, psychosocial and financial burdens. Having a better understanding of the critical and broad roles that caregivers play in the oncology setting and the impact of these on their health and wellbeing may assist health care professionals in supporting caregivers with these tasks and targeting services and interventions towards those most in need. This is particularly important in light of the predicted shortfall in the number in caregivers and especially as caregivers are increasingly replacing skilled health workers in the delivery of unfamiliar complex cancer care at home. This presentation will include Australian research examining the psychosocial and financial impact of caring for someone with cancer over the first five years post-diagnosis.