Assessment of the Burden of Care in Palliative Care Patients With Invasive Procedures From the Perspective of the Caregivers: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background A palliative care unit is a place where intensive treatment and care are provided for both patients and caregivers. In addition, some invasive interventions are needed to reduce the symptoms seen in end‐stage patients. Aim In this study, the relationship between the care burden experienced by caregivers of patients hospitalised in a palliative care unit and invasive procedures (intravenous applications were excluded from invasive procedures because they are routinely applied to all patients) was evaluated. Study Design This cross‐sectional study was conducted in Turkey. The following tools were used to collect data: the ‘Caregiver Information Form’, ‘Palliative Performance Scale (PPS)’ and the ‘Zarit Care Burden Scale’. Results Although data were collected from 123 patients, informal caregivers and those who declined to answer certain questions were excluded from the final sample, ensuring that the target sample size was met. The final sample consisted of 107 caregivers. Results showed that the median care burden score was significantly higher among caregivers with low income (49 (14‐72); p = 0.034), those caring for patients diagnosed with cerebrovascular events (58.5(19‐70); p = 0.029), and those who underwent invasive interventions for various reasons (34 (10‐73); p = 0.006). Additionally, 68.2% ( n = 73) of caregivers reported feelings of distress for their patients and 57% ( n = 61) experienced insomnia while providing care. The mean PPS score of the patients was 32.0 ± 20.0, and the median score of the Zarit Burden of Care Scale was 30 (10–73). The combined variables of caregiver age, days spent with the patient, and PPS score accounted for 17% of the variance in the Care Burden Scale ( R = 0.444, R 2 = 0.174, p < 0.05). Conclusions Based on these findings, it is recommended that caregivers of patients receiving invasive interventions and those with low PPS scores receive both physiological and psychological support. Relevance to Clinical Practice These findings highlight the need for targeted physiological and psychological support for caregivers of palliative care patients undergoing invasive interventions to reduce care burden and improve overall care quality.