Page 232 - Psychology of Wounds and Wound Care in Clinical Practice ( PDFDrive )

Family Considerations 207

impacts on patients’ sleep, particularly due to noise. However,
it was also noted in this study that spouses also experienced
sleep disturbance due to their partners’ treatment. The
impact of NPWT on family and carers is therefore another
area which should be explored. Research on caregiving with
other chronic illnesses (e.g. diabetes) suggests that providing
care to an ill family member may lead to feelings of burden
as a result of the chronic stress it elicits (Vitaliano et al. 2003 ).
This burden may stem from the time and effort spouses
devote to helping their partners, as well as from potential
adverse effects on their psychological or physical health (e.g.
Coyne and Smith 1991 ). Spouses’ feelings of burden also
could stem from the disruption of their own routines or the
drains on their energy from having to monitor and seek to
influence their partners’ health behaviors on a daily basis
(see Sales 2003 ).
Hopkins et al. ( 2006 ) reported on participants with a pres-
sure ulcer who described their worries about their families,
the impact of the ulcer on the families and their sense of
gratitude towards them. Based on the findings from a study
on carers by Baharestani ( 1994 ), they were right to be wor-
ried: pressure ulcers do have an enormous impact on spouses.
Other studies exploring issues for patients in relation to their
partners also found this essence of a ‘sense of indebtedness’
towards the carer (White and Greyner 1999 ).
Indeed, family caregivers in many studies report that the
care they have to provide is one of the most significant issues
for those with family members with chronic conditions and
this burden may lead to the caregiver postponing their own
needs (Manne and Zautra 1990 Rees et al. 2001 ; Riemsma
;
et al. 1999 ; Baanders and Heijmans 2007 ). The effect on fam-
ily caregivers across most chronic illnesses can be grouped
into changes in social, economic, physical and mental status
(Glasdam et al. 2010 Johansson and Fahlstršm 1993 ;
;
;
Oehlenslaeger 1998 Soubhi et al. 2006 ). The burden of care is
one of the main consequences for family caregivers with
chronic illness. The patient’s close family members may expe-
rience poor psychological well-being (depression, anxiety),
decreased satisfaction in relationships, caregiver burden and