[Overcoming Fear of Death in Home Caregiving].

This study aimed to clarify the factors for reducing the burden of caregivers caring for terminal patients. We conducted semi-structured interviews with bereaved caregivers, seeking those who had felt neither fear nor anxiety during caregiving; their responses were analyzed using the Steps for Coding and Theorization. The one caregiver who showed neither fear nor anxiety(1)believed in an afterlife,(2)sought a physician who would respect her belief,(3)sought respect for her medical decisions, and(4)found distance to the clinic to be a critical factor. Our findings suggest that doctors' respect for caregivers' beliefs may be an important factor in reducing caregiver burden at the end of life.