Economic Burden Associated with Cancer Caregiving.

OBJECTIVE: The societal value of unpaid caregiving is estimated to exceed $470 billion annually. In spite of the high value care they provide, caregivers experience significant financial burden. This paper examines the sources and impact of financial burden on cancer caregivers.

DATA SOURCES: Survey of the published peer-reviewed literature complemented by Web-based sources.

CONCLUSION: Caregivers for cancer patients may experience financial burden disproportionately relative to other caregivers because of the intensity of care they provide and the cost and complexity of cancer treatment. Financial burden stems from employment loss and cost of care and can continue long after the death of the patient. Few federal policy protections are available for caregivers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses can play an important role in recognizing the needs of caregivers and act as navigators to connect caregivers to available resources.