Descriptive study on the overload of the main caregiver of cancer patients with tumour asthenia in Salamanca

Introduction

The incidence of oncology patients is increasing due to the ageing of the population and advances in research leading to early diagnoses. This has resulted in an increase in the care required for patients at all stages of their illness. To describe the current situation of the overload of informal caregivers of cancer patients with tumour asthenia belonging to the Medical Oncology Service of the University Health Care Complex of Salamanca and the Palliative Care Unit of the Hospital de los Montalvos, we employed the following.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional descriptive observational study conducted at the Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca and the Palliative Care Unit of the Hospital de los Montalvos from February to May 2023. The study involved 75 informal caregivers of oncology patients with tumour asthenia. Data was collected through interviews, which included sociodemographic information and measurement scales. The study employed the Barthel Scale, PERFORM questionnaire, and Reduced Zarit Caregiver Overload Scale to assess the informal caregivers' ability to care for cancer patients with tumour asthenia.

Results

Of the caregivers, 58.7% were female, and the mean age was 60.0 years (±14.10). Over half (50.7%) of the caregivers experienced high levels of overload, making it impossible to care for the patient. Among patients with tumour asthenia, 37.3% were totally dependent, and 8.0% were moderately dependent. Of these caregivers, 58.7% had no prior caregiving experience, 80.7% had no training, and 77.3% never received help in caring for the patient.

Conclusions

In the Medical Oncology service of the Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca (CAUSA) and the Palliative Care Unit of the Hospital de los Montalvos, over one third of caregivers of oncology patients with tumour asthenia experienced caregiver overload. Variables such as the patient's age, the caregiver's age, the number of care hours, and the willingness to seek help can influence the perception of overload. This can worsen the effective care of the patient. It is important to consider these factors when providing care.