Preparing Family Caregivers Part 1: Roles in Home Care & Hospice

1. Family Caregivers: Sometimes Undervalued but Very Important Members of the Health Care Team

A number of grassroots and governmental efforts are fueling the interest and support of family and friend caregivers. This foundational chapter discusses some of these efforts and their intrinsic value for home care and hospice clinicians and organizations. A number of state and federal initiatives and other caregiving-related models will be examined.

2. Redefining Roles: Helping Family and Friend Caregivers Meet Patient Goals and Outcomes

In this chapter, a practical and holistic definition of caregivers and the people they provide care for will be presented. In addition, the assistance or challenges that may present themselves when working with these important lay caregivers will be examined. How do educational priorities best get determined and addressed? What are the priorities, and why? The importance of the family caregiver’s role at the onset of care, e.g., during the assessment or initial visits, is also examined as a determinant of success in relationship building and as an important part of the clinician relationship or therapeutic milieu. These interactions can be integrated into an actionable part of the plan of care. A role-playing scenario will be presented to better illustrate such interactions as well as tips for success.