Impact of cardiac disease on quality of life and marital functioning of older caregiving spouses

Caregiving spouses of older adults with cardiovascular disease experience a great deal of distress. Consequent to caring for patients with a chronic and/or potentially life-threatening illness, they are at increased risk for psychopathology and physical morbidity outcomes. Spouses may experience overwhelming emotional turmoil as they struggle to come to terms with changes in the marital relationship, including the redefinition of longstanding patterns of roles and responsibilities, and reduced quality of life. They may find it difficult to tolerate the unpredictability of the clinical course, the uncertainty of the long-term outcome of the disease, and the possibility of impending widowhood. This presentation reports results from a pilot study conducted with 23 older adult cardiac patients treated at a university medical center and their caregiving spouses (78% female; mean age=55.8 years, SD=11.1; mean length of marriage=27.6 years, SD=15.1). Spouses participated in 90-minute open ended qualitative interviews. Findings are based on content/thematic analysis of caregiver interviews and their implications for public health and clinical practice. Identified themes include: (1) the challenges of dealing with persistent and cumulative disease-related stressors, which can either bring a couple closer or strain the marital relationship; (2) the psychological and physical consequences of their caregiving burden; (3) the impact of living with cardiac disease on the couple's quality of life and aging experience, including the need to adjust to changed expectations regarding their “golden years”; (4) the factors influencing the spouses' ability to cope (e.g., competing demands, social support, coping strategies); (5) the psychological stress of potential widowhood.