The burden of caring for a seriously ill spouse can be so high that the carer’s quality of life may improve more if the spouse dies than if they recover, a German study suggests.

The 264 caregivers in the study were tending to a sick spouse who required constant care or assistance with daily tasks like bathing, dressing and eating.

Over four years of follow-up, 152 spouses died and 112 recovered from their illness.

After a death, caregivers experienced marked improvements in life satisfaction from 1-2 years after they were widowed that were not mirrored by the experiences of caregivers following the recovery of an ill partner or spouse.