P03.01 Nursing Intervention of coping with life changes for family caregiver of primary malignant brain tumor patient

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Primary malignant brain tumor (PMBT)is one of the most difficult disease to treat, which often get to a terminal disease in a short time. Therefore, family caregiver of patient who developed PMBT (referred to as family) became the main physical caregiver of patients'. And as a result, they have been suffering from specific stress and/or distress caused by the influence, such as resignation of their jobs and bearing a great burden of housework in their home. Nursing intervention (referred to as intervention) is needed to alleviate such stress and/or distress. However, there have been no studies about intervention that have focused on life changes of burdens. Therefore, we developed a nursing support model (referred to as a model) to coping with life changes for “family”. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of intervention by applying intervention of model to cases. METHODS: When family experiences a big life change, it occurs to patient relapse or have strong symptoms, so the model covered the period before and after relapse. At this time, the model provides intervention to coping with life changes, by understanding their experience from eleven items such as mental and physical situation and fulflling their needs from five aspects i) communication with health care providers, ii) fexible correspondence at the time of deterioration, iii) consideration to family, iv) information provision, v) specialized advice, education and explanation. We used a longitudinal case study design as research design. The content of intervention were interviews with a nurse at least once a month. The contents of the intervention performed in the interview and the reaction to the intervention were tape recorded, and it was taken as the data for subsequent analysis. Evaluation of interventions were conducted with an interview within one month after the end of intervention for each participant. RESULTS: Intervention was provided to 6 family caregivers. The patients' diagnosis were glioblastomas, anaplastic astrocytoma, diffuse astrocytoma. The intervention period was a maximum of 112 days, a minimum of 64 days. All participants responded fulfllment of needs, promotion of coping and adaptation to life in interviews. Moreover, in the interview, the additional need 'Empathy / listening to feelings' was appeared. CONCLUSION: Since all 6 participants evaluated that intervention based on model was acceptable, it is considered that this model can be applied in the clinical setting. Promotion of coping and adaptation to life were shown during the 2-4 month, but three of them wished to continue more. So it is necessary to extend of the duration. Since the aspect of 'Empathy / listening to feelings' additionally emerged as the need, this add the model, finally six aspects of needs were including the model.