Caregiver characteristics and bereavement needs: findings from a population study - a podcast by SAGE Publications Ltd.

This episode features the work of Professor David Currow et al (Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia) who describes a study which aimed to compare characteristics, expressed unmet needs and outcomes for spousal caregivers, with other caregivers at the end of life, by gender and age. The study used data from The South Australian Health Omnibus (an annual, random, face-to-face, cross-sectional survey wherein respondents are asked about end-of-life care). The authors found that bereaved spousal caregivers were more likely to be older, female, better educated, have lower incomes, less full-time work, English as second language, sought help with grief and provided more day-to-day care for longer periods. Spousal caregivers were less likely to be willing to take on caregiving again, less able to ‘move on’ with life and needed greater emotional support and information about illness and services. In conclusion, spousal caregivers are different from other caregivers, with more intense needs that are not fully met. Full paper available from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269216316663855?journalCode=pmja

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