The experiences of caregivers of patients living with cancer admitted to a hospice in South Africa

Background: Caregivers share cancer experiences with patients, but little is known about their own experiences in the end-of-life phase, the most difficult phase in the caregiving journey. Aims:To describe the experiences of caregivers of cancer patients admitted to a hospice in South Africa. Methods: A qualitative design was used; 22 (n=22) participants were purposively selected and in-depth interviews were conducted. Analysis of the data was by qualitative content analysis. Findings: A total of three themes arose from the data: emotional responses towards the caregiver role, personal cost of caregiving and spiritual issues relating to caregiving. Conclusion: Caring for cancer patients during the last phase of life was not easy. Responsibilities overwhelmed the participants and they were emotionally exhausted. They lacked knowledge of how to care and experienced a heavy financial burden. Despite the challenges that they faced, faith and religious practices served as a coping mechanism and kept some going.