Nurse-Led Caregiver Support for Older Adults With Advanced Lung Cancer

This study is designed as a two-phase, three-year study. Phase I is a cross-sectional correlational study conducted to examine physical and psychological distress, daily function, unmet care needs, knowledge and utilization of resources, social support, and health promotion practice among older adults with locally advanced or advanced non-small cell lung cancer and their primary family caregivers. Phase II is a two-group, 12-month randomized controlled trial. Eligible patient-caregiver dyads will be randomized to either an experimental group receiving the Integrating Nurse-Led and Resource Utilization-Based Caregiver Support Model (ICSM) plus oncology case manager care, or a control group receiving oncology case manager care and usual hospital care. The ICSM intervention includes nurse-led education and counseling and use of an information and resource platform designed to support lung cancer care, caregiver self-care, distress management, and health promotion. The main intervention components include understanding non-small cell lung cancer treatment recommendations, symptom detection and management, care of aging-related problems, coping with emotional distress, problem-solving and social resource use, maintaining social function during caregiving, relaxation skills, and use of information and resources related to cancer care, long-term care, and caregiver support. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at follow-up time points after the first treatment. Generalized estimating equations will be used to examine intervention effects over time.