Quality of Life and Work Overload of Caretakers of Children with Cancer

This paper aims at verifying the relationship between the quality of life and work overload of caretakers of children with neoplasia that are cared for at a supporting home. The methodology was quantity-qualitative with use of multi methods of research. The participants (N = 23) were the caretakers of patients cared for at the Support Home for Children with Cancer. The data collection instruments were: a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Whoqol - Bref Scale, the Zarit Scale, and one interview by topics. Data analysis was done by the descriptive statistics and by the enunciation analysis. The outcomes point to an essentially female sample (95.7%); while mothers comprised 82.6%. The majority presented intense overload (54.5%). The predominant loss was psychological (53.98). The inerviews confirmed that obtained in the scaales and they showed significant changes in the life of caretakers and families, with marked losses for social life and work relations. The caretakers feel overloaded, but this overload remains disguised, as its manifestation may reveal emotions and guilty feelings, which are hard to be admitted and elaborated.

Quality of Life; Overload; Caretgiver; Cancer in children; Support Home