Working and caregiving: a comparison of employed and unemployed caregivers of older heart failure patients.

For family caregivers of patients with heart failure (HF), providing care and working outside the home is a common experience. Nurses need to consider the effect work and caregiving has on the caregiver. This study explored for differences in caregiver and patient variables between 19 employed and 22 unemployed family caregivers of older HF patients. Overall, the employed caregivers perceived higher well-being, suggesting the benefits of work and caregiving. The risk for depression was not significant. The need for more research and nursing support for working and nonworking HF caregivers is discussed.