How treatment burden affects the carer: The experiences of three individuals, a mother, a daughter and a husband

Abstract

These accounts have talked about the burden that treatments can have on those caring for other people. What is evident is that, from the carer perspective, the burden to the patient is inextricable from the burden that they experience as a carer. Some key themes emerged about common difficulties, these included logistics, especially when relating to travel and hospital parking, and constraints on both time and financial situations, the later contributing further burden to the former. Oxygen has been another key contributor to the burden of treatment; the concerns about shortages, of device failure and of storage have all lead to increased difficulty from the perspective of the carers. In all three accounts, the support of the medical professionals who have worked with the families has contributed significantly to easing the burden that carers experience. This highlights the importance of the role of healthcare professionals in working with patients and carers to ease treatment burden and improve quality of life for all involved.