With the increase in the number of patients nearing the end of life with chronic illness, there is increased pressure on inpatient, community health services, and informal care arrangements. Informal caregivers are providing more care to meet the needs of their loved ones, often having to make considerable adjustments to their own lives and existing responsibilities. This caregiving role can have a financial impact on caregivers, as many reduce their hours of work, or stop working in order to care for their loved one. In addition to financial burden, many caregivers feel a burden in other aspects of their lives, with their social relationships, health and independence also being affected.
The main aim of this project is to explore the key factors influencing the level of caregiver burden experienced by a sample of participants who provided informal care to a loved one aged 65 years or more near the end of life, in Ireland, using data from a bereaved caregivers survey.
There are potentially many drivers of caregiver burden, such as the relationship between the patient and caregiver, the age, sex and overall health of the caregiver, the amount and type of care that they provide, and external supports that are available. The hypothesis of this study is that by identifying the key factors that drive caregiver burden, we can begin to make recommendations about how best to support caregivers in their role, a role which is crucial to the future success of health services in Ireland.
