Developing a living with hope program for caregivers of family members with advanced cancer

A theory-based intervention, the Living with Hope Program (LWHP), was designed to foster hope in caregivers of family members with advanced cancer. The LWHP was developed from qualitative data and using Harding and Higginson's recommendations for family caregiver interventions as a guide. The LWHP is: a) focused specifically on the caregivers themselves, b) theory based, c) feasible, d) acceptable, and e) pilot tested. The program consists of a hope video and a hope activity titled Stories of the Present. A mixed-method, concurrent triangulation, pre- and post-test design was used to pilot test the LWHP. The results of the pilot test suggest the LWHP is easy to use, flexible, and feasible, and shows promise in increasing hope and quality of life scores in family caregivers.