Introduction: Family caregivers play an important role in providing support and assistance for individuals living with life-threatening illnesses. Their involvement, and what they are required to do, can change during the course of the patient’s illness. Undoubtedly, the required involvement will increase as patients near the end of their lives. Serving as a caregiver for a family member can be challenging and leave the person with heightened feelings of emotional distress and potential health issues of their own.

Methods: A rapid review of recent literature regarding family caregiver during palliative care was undertaken. Analysis focused on identifying the range of needs experienced by family caregivers, the impact of unmet needs on the caregiver and the potential strategies that could be utilized to mitigate the difficulties.

Results: The literature on the needs of family caregivers is growing rapidly. As health care systems struggle with professional healthcare staff shortages, family caregivers are being required to engage in more direct care of their family members who are ill. Many family caregivers find they do not have the necessary support for caring for the ill individual, especially in the home environment. Family caregivers are becoming fatigued and physically and emotionally compromised. These difficulties in turn can influence the quality of care the ill individual receives. Some jurisdictions are finding ways to provide effective interventions to support the

family caregivers.

Conclusions: Family caregivers form an important part of the provision of palliative care for patients. Without adequate support for themselves, family caregivers experience unmet physical, emotional, and practical needs. Health care systems must find innovative approaches to support this key population.

Margaret I Fitch, RN, PhD, is a professor (adjunct) at the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. She is also the editor-in-chief for the Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal and works as an independent consultant for research and program evaluation initiatives. She has served in a clinical, educational, and administration roles within comprehensive cancer centers/networks and has maintained a strong program of research in supportive care in cancer throughout her career of more than 30 years. She has expertise in qualitative and quantitative research and a specific interest in profiling patient and family voices regarding their experience with cancer care.