Repercussões vivenciadas pelo cuidador familiar de pacientes em cuidados paliativos: uma revisão de escopo

Abstract

The integration of the family as the axis of care is presented among the guiding principles of palliative care. Throughout the course of a life-threatening illness, those who assume the role of caregiver will have to deal with the physical and psychological demands of their ailing loved one, as well as with the finitude of someone close's life. This study aims to identify the repercussions experienced by family members in the process of caring for a loved one in palliative care. It is a scoping review conducted according to the guidelines recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searches were conducted in July 2023 on the Portal of Journals of the Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES), using the descriptors "palliative care AND caregiver" and "palliative care AND family". Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were read in full for data summarization and descriptive analysis of the material based on the philosophy of palliative care and the multidimensional approach diagram. Fifty-five articles were obtained, which evidenced impacts of the caregiving process in all dimensions of the family's life; however, more frequent repercussions were observed in the psychological and socio-familial dimensions. Among the main repercussions are emotional exhaustion, depression, and anxiety, as well as lack of support and a sense of inability to execute care for the loved one. It is concluded that the repercussions experienced by family caregivers are multifactorial, and it is important to ensure interprofessional action with family caregivers of patients in palliative care. It was found that part of the repercussions experienced by family caregivers evidenced changes in occupations, routines, and performance components, which constitutes an object of intervention for occupational therapists; therefore, this professional should be present in the composition of the multiprofessional team.