Abstract

To evaluate the effect of informational support by hospice team on family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients, 22 family caregivers of D University Hospital in Daegu city were participated. The research was conducted from Aug. 16th to Oct. 28th 2000 by using self-reported questionnaires. The instruments used in this study were the Weinert's scale of perceived social support, Spielberger's state anxiety inventory, CES-D, and Ellison and Paloutzian's spiritual well-being scale. The intervention was designed to give educational and counselling program up to 7 times within 4 weeks. Educational and counselling booklets which made by the researcher were used step by step by hospice team. The data were analysed frequency, percentage, Wilcoxon Singed Ranks Test with SPSS Win 10.0/PC. The results obtained from this study were as follows ; 1. The perceived social support of family caregivers was significantly increased after ready planned informational support was applied by hospice team(z=-3.045, p=0.002). 2. The anxiety of family caregivers was significantly reduced after ready planned informational support was applied by hospice team(z=-3.348, p=0.001). 3. The depression of family caregivers was significantly reduced after ready planned informational support was applied by hospice team(z=-3.641, p=0.000). 4. The spiritual well-being score of family caregivers was not significantly improved after ready planned informational support was applied by hospice team(z=-0.422, p=0.673). In conclusion, the results of this study clearly suggests that the informational support provided by hospice team not only increased the family caregivers' who are caring for terminally ill cancer patients. Therefor the informational support program designed by researcher for family caregivers who are caring for terminally ill cancer patients should be utilized and expended.