Reducing Caregiver Stress Through End-of-Life Communication

Caregivers are constantly faced with becoming the sole provider for their loved ones and provided with minimal resources. Their loved one often becomes unable to communicate and express their needs through communication. Often, this leaves the caregiver unable to speak with their loved one when making pertinent decisions such as completing advance directives, becoming the power of attorney, burial plans, and fulfilling any final wishes. This grant proposal looks further at what communication was missed from the perspective of a caregiver using semi-structured interviews. The psychological impact, due to lack of communication, will be the main focus. The use of Hermeneutic phenomenology will provide a better understanding of the lived experiences of the caregivers when caring for a dying loved one. The study will include 10-15 caregivers. The study will be completed within one year with the hope to help future caregivers endure less stress through the improvement of communication.