Cancer Caregiving in the United States, 2012 Research, Practice, Policy Caregiving: Research • Practice • Policy Series

Despite advances in detection and treatment, cancer remains a source of pain and distress to patients and of complex challenges to the loved ones caring for them. The trend toward shorter hospital stays in particular has increased the physical, psychological, and financial burden on caregivers, often leading to adverse effects on patients.

Cancer Caregiving in the United States illuminates these complex concerns with authoritative detail. This wide-ranging volume provides a comprehensive survey of cancer-related issues, including those affecting the care triad (patients-family members- professionals) and quality of care as well as the numerous physical, emotional, and financial challenges that caregivers may need to confront. Sources of caregiver difficulty at each stage of the disease, from diagnosis to end of life, are explored. Each chapter analyzes its topic in terms of practice, research, education, and policy, providing a wealth of literature reviews, assessment and care models, interventions, and recommendations for future study and practice.

Coverage includes:

• Caregiving issues for cancer patients with long-term, short-term, and intermittent needs.
• Family caregivers as members of the treatment team.
• The impact of health disparities on caregivers.
• Cancer care policy and advocacy.
• End-of-life issues for cancer caregivers.
• Legal, financial, and ethical issues. 

Cancer Caregiving in the United States is a core reference for researchers, professionals/scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in such caregiving fields as clinical psychology, social work, nursing, public health and medicine, social policy, and educational policy.

1. Caring for a Loved One with Cancer: Professional and Family Issues.- Section I: Issues Affecting the Care Triad.- 2. Diagnostic Issues: Family Dynamics & Caring for an Individual with Cancer.- 3. The Emotional Responses of Family Caregivers: Living with the Cancer and Helping Families Cope.- 4. The Impact of Health Disparities on Cancer Caregivers.- 5. Education, Training, and Support Programs for Caregivers of Individuals with Cancer.- 6. What Professional Caregivers in Health Care Can Do: Family Caregivers as Members of the Treatment Team.- Section II: Issues in Providing Direct Care.- 7. Issues in Providing Developmentally Appropriate Caregiving for Cancer Patients with Short-term/Intermittent Care Needs.- 8. Issues in Caregiving for Cancer Patients with Long-term Care Needs.- 9. End-of-Life Issues for Caregivers of Individuals with Cancer.- 10. Advances in Cancer Care Impacting Familial Caregiving.- Section III: Cross-cutting Issues Impacting Caregivers and Caregiving.- 11. Faith-based Issues in Caring for a Loved One with Cancer.- 12. Economic Issues in Cancer Care.- 13. Legal Issues in Caregiving for Individuals with Cancer.- 14. Cancer Care Policy and Advocacy: National and State Initiatives.- 15. Ethical Issues in Caregiving for Individuals with Cancer.- Section IV:Conclusions.- 16. Caregiving and Cancer: Changed Lives and the Future of Cancer Care.

Ronda C. Talley, PhD, MPH, is  Professor of Psychology at Western Kentucky University. Her prior work experience includes providing leadership on caregiving issues and organizational development as Executive Director of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving; working with national government groups to promote caregiving issues as Associate Director of Legislation, Policy, and Planning/Health Scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and promoting the science and practice of psychology in the schools as Associate Executive Director of Education and Director of School Policy and Practice at the American Psychological Association. Dr. Talley, as Adjunct Associate Professor,  taught ethics and legal issues in school psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park.Dr. Talley received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Indiana University and the Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award from the Division of School Psychology of the American Psychological Association. She serves on the national board of the American Association of Caregiving Youth.  Dr. Talley may be reached at 1906 College Heights Boulevard, GRH 3023, Bowling Green, KY 42101; by telephone at (270) 745-2780; or via e-mail at Ronda.Talley@wku.edu.

Ruth McCorkle, PhD, FAAN, is the Yale University Florence S. Wald Professor of Nursing and  Professor of Epidemiology and former Director of the Center for Excellence in Chronic Illness Care. In addition, Dr. McCorkle is currently the Director of the Psycho-oncology program at the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale New Haven Hospital. She has won numerous awards recognizing her outstanding contributions to nursing science, cancer leadership, and psycho-oncology. Dr. McCorkle was elected both to the American Academy of Nursing and the Institute of Medicine. She has received the Nurse Scientist of the Year Award by the American Nurses Association, the Distinguished ResearchAward from th