Physical Aspects

It is common for people with a serious illness to remain at home for much of their care. As they become less able to carry out their usual tasks and care for themselves, daily life is changed as someone takes on the role of family carer.

Some family carers will still have children at home. Adult daughters or other family relatives, friends or neighbours, may end up juggling many roles at once. There may be other sick family members to care for. Many family carers are still working.

Providing care in the home has reported benefits including:

• Being in familiar surroundings
• Able to follow usual routines
• Autonomy in decision making
• A reduction in the number of visits to hospital.

There can be a down side to caring at home. This includes:

• Disruption with health professionals coming to the house
• Having to assume personal care for the sick person with intimate tasks, such as toileting
• The unexpected, such as coping with someone who has fallen or who is in pain.

There are many practical things that a family carer needs to learn to do. There are many services available to assist families caring at home. Nurses and social workers can help identify a wide range of support services.

Emotional aspects

Being a family carer for someone in the final phase of life can be complicated. It can be challenging if this is a first encounter with dying and with death. It can be unpredictable, intense, and a bit scary at times, but can help develop stronger bonds and relationships.

Providing ongoing hands-on care can change the relationship between the ill person and the carer, often leaving less time for emotional connection and important conversations.

All of this can be emotionally intense. It can have a considerable impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of family carers, including increased fatigue, anxiety and depression. These responsibilities can impact on the family carer’s ability to manage their role, their home and family.

It is important to deal with the feelings and emotions that this situation causes, both for the family carer and for the person who is dying. There are also practical caring issues that will need to be addressed.

Resources

• Palliative Care Australia has a useful booklet called Asking Questions Can Help: An aid for people seeing the palliative care team.
• The Canadian Virtual Hospice has information on emotional health that may be helpful.

Related CareSearch pages

What is a family carer?
Feelings and emotions
Practical caring issues
Finances
Communication
Emotional challenges
Respite
Social support

This page was created on 26 May 2009 and is due for review in May 2011*