The situation of caregivers in heart failure and their role in improving patient outcomes.

This paper describes experiences of caregivers to patients with heart failure and their role in improving patient outcomes. Being related to and caring for someone with heart failure involves several prominent changes in daily life that may sometimes be experienced as stressful and burdensome. Since heart failure is a chronic condition, the burden will be permanent and sometimes increases during the illness trajectory. Caregiver burden increases if the caregiver experiences poor mental and/or physical health, limitations in daily life, isolation, loneliness and a lack of sufficient social and professional support. Interventions to reduce caregiver burden should focus on improving social support, providing knowledge of heart failure and increasing the perceived control over the situation. To date, there is limited research evaluating effects of psycho-educational interventions. The few studies that have been conducted reported neutral effects, despite having included structured education and individualized support as requested by caregivers. There is still a knowledge gap on how to fulfill the caregiver's often unmet need for support. Therefore, research on developing and evaluating new family-focused interventions is warranted.