Family caregivers’ compassion fatigue in long-term facilities
Beth Perry Associate professor, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Canada
Janice E Dalton Manager, Community support program, Eastern Health, Holyrood, Canada
Margaret Edwards Professor, co-ordinator graduate studies, Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University, Canada
A Canadian study offers staff in the UK insight into the feelings of hopelessness and sadness that can engulf relatives assisting with care, say Beth Perry and colleagues
Aim The aim of this study was to explore the presence of compassion fatigue in family carers who assist staff with care of older relatives in long-term settings.
Method Narrative data were collected through observation and conversations with five purposively selected family carers.
Findings Thematic and poetic analysis suggest that family carers exhibit symptoms associated in the literature with compassion fatigue in nurses and other healthcare professionals. Two major themes emerged: role engulfment and enveloping sadness.
Conclusion Nurses working in long-term care settings should educate family carers about compassion fatigue, recognise its presence in them and provide supportto family carers experiencing the condition.
Nursing Older People.
22, 4, 26-31.
doi: 10.7748/nop2010.05.22.4.26.c7734
Want to read more?
Already have access? Log in
or
3-month trial offer for £5.25/month
Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
- Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
- RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
- NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
- A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe
Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days.
Buy now
Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more
