When Patient Becomes Caregiver: One Couple, Two Cases of Advanced Cancer

Abstract

This project extends family communication patterns theory to a caregiver typology and applies the typology to the case of a husband and wife, both afflicted with stage IV cancer (ovarian and prostate). The case of Vivian and Harold identifies the essential characteristics of the Manager (Harold) and Carrier (Vivian) caregivers, the couples’ clinical communication needs, and suggested communication interventions for those providing health care for similar patient/caregiver situations. Their story was selected from data collected as part of a larger, purposive sample aimed at assessing oncology patient and caregiver descriptions of both family communication patterns and informal caregiver burden.