TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenges encountered by family caregivers of prostate cancer patients in Cape Coast, Ghana
T2 - a descriptive phenomenological study
AU - Owoo, Benedicta
AU - Ninnoni, Jerry Paul
AU - Ampofo, Evelyn Asamoah
AU - Seidu, Abdul Aziz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Background: In Ghana, prostate cancer is more prevalent than all other cancers, with a mortality rate of 75% partly due to late presentation to the health care facilities. Limited health services provision across the country and shortages of skilled nurses place a significant demand on family caregivers who are often ill-equipped for the caring role, resulting in many challenges. As they are expected to provide complex care at home with little resources, information, and support, the healthcare system rarely addresses the challenging needs of these family caregivers. This study explored the challenges encountered by family caregivers of people with prostate cancer. Methods: We conducted interviews using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twelve family caregivers of prostate cancer patients were selected through a purposive sampling technique at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Colaizzi’s (1978) data analysis approach. Results: Three main themes were identified as critical challenges: education and training needs, resources and caregiver-nurse relationship issues. Under the three main themes emerged seven sub-themes that collectively hindered the family caregiver’s ability to meet the care demands. Sub-themes that emerged were; lack of preparedness towards the caring role, lack of knowledge about condition/ treatment, misconception about the condition, lack of accommodation facilities, financial constraints, poor communication, and poor staff attitude. Conclusion: Caregiving is associated with significant challenges that hinder the family caregiver’s ability to care for the patient effectively, further diminishing the caregiver’s quality of life and patient care. Therefore, healthcare professionals, especially nurses, should consider these challenges family caregivers face and take measures to obviate them through education, preparation and support.
AB - Background: In Ghana, prostate cancer is more prevalent than all other cancers, with a mortality rate of 75% partly due to late presentation to the health care facilities. Limited health services provision across the country and shortages of skilled nurses place a significant demand on family caregivers who are often ill-equipped for the caring role, resulting in many challenges. As they are expected to provide complex care at home with little resources, information, and support, the healthcare system rarely addresses the challenging needs of these family caregivers. This study explored the challenges encountered by family caregivers of people with prostate cancer. Methods: We conducted interviews using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twelve family caregivers of prostate cancer patients were selected through a purposive sampling technique at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Colaizzi’s (1978) data analysis approach. Results: Three main themes were identified as critical challenges: education and training needs, resources and caregiver-nurse relationship issues. Under the three main themes emerged seven sub-themes that collectively hindered the family caregiver’s ability to meet the care demands. Sub-themes that emerged were; lack of preparedness towards the caring role, lack of knowledge about condition/ treatment, misconception about the condition, lack of accommodation facilities, financial constraints, poor communication, and poor staff attitude. Conclusion: Caregiving is associated with significant challenges that hinder the family caregiver’s ability to care for the patient effectively, further diminishing the caregiver’s quality of life and patient care. Therefore, healthcare professionals, especially nurses, should consider these challenges family caregivers face and take measures to obviate them through education, preparation and support.
KW - Cape Coast
KW - Challenges
KW - Family caregiver
KW - Ghana
KW - Nursing
KW - Patients
KW - Prostate cancer
KW - Public health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131896926&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12904-022-00993-6
DO - 10.1186/s12904-022-00993-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 35701817
AN - SCOPUS:85131896926
SN - 1472-684X
VL - 21
JO - BMC Palliative Care
JF - BMC Palliative Care
IS - 1
M1 - 108
ER -