Study of nursing support for family caregivers of patients with incurable diseases in the context of optimization model

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This study was conducted for a period of two years from 2004 to explore the nursing support system to help the caregivers (wives) of patients with an incurable disease to establish strategies for fulfilling life. In the first year, we interviewed 14 wives to ask about their life course, strategies they applied to their nursing care experience and their quality of life (QOL) in order to obtain basic data for development of a strategy model.The results of the interviews showed that the wives who adopted such positive strategies as continuing to study, volunteer work, or paying attention to their own health management had a better QOL in spite of the progression of their husband's illness and the subsequent increase in the work to provide care.In 2005, we prepared a draft for the "Strategy model for achievement a fulfilling life for wives of husbands with an incurable disease. We had a test operation and evaluation of the created model by interviewing seven wives whose husbands either underwent tracheotomy or died.The results showed that the wives' (i.e. the main family caregivers') acceptance of events was encouraged by relating their worst experience in life to the nursing support provider. Responses indicating the benefits of our strategy model, such as reorganizing life or changing the lifestyle, were observed.