PARTNERING EFFECTIVELY WITH FAMILY CAREGIVERS: IMPROVING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS’ KNOWLEDGE SKILLS

摘要

The number of older adults living with chronic disease, functional decline, and serious illness is growing exponentially at a time when availability of both family and professional caregivers is strained. Family caregivers are providing increasingly complex care following hospitalization of older family members for which they are often ill-prepared. In order to address the complex care needs of older adults with serious illness, health professionals must learn how to partner effectively with family caregivers to achieve optimal outcomes. According to the National Quality Forum (2014), family-centered care is “an approach to the planning and delivery of care across settings and time that is centered in collaborative partnerships among individuals, their defined family, and providers of care.” The purpose of this symposium is to present the results of several projects designed to advance the ability of health professionals to partner with family caregivers. Papers presented include: (1) Development of Family Caregiving Competencies for Health Professionals: A Modified Delphi Study; (2) Assessing Family Caregiver Preparedness: Competencies for the Caregiving Role; (3) Nursing Perspectives on Family Caregivers: Part “Patient” and Part “Team Member”; and (4) Assessing Market Value of Graduate Education/Specialization Related to Family Caregiving.