Question

How can family members provide long-term care as a caregiver?

Your response must be at least 200 words in length.

Answer 1

1)ans) The terms family caregiver and informal caregiver refer to an unpaid family member, friend, or neighbour who provides care to an individual who has an acute or chronic condition and needs assistance to manage a variety of tasks, from bathing, dressing, and taking medications to tube feeding and ventilator care .Family caregivers often feel unprepared to provide care, have inadequate knowledge to deliver proper care, and receive little guidance from the formal health care providers.

Most patients have families that are providing some level of care and support. In the case of older adults and people with chronic disabilities of all ages, this “informal care” can be substantial in scope, intensity, and duration. Family caregiving raises safety issues in two ways that should concern nurses in all settings.

First, caregivers are sometimes referred to as “secondary patients,” who need and deserve protection and guidance. Research supporting this caregiver-as-client perspective focuses on ways to protect family caregivers’ health and safety, because their caregiving demands place them at high risk for injury and adverse events.

Second, family caregivers are unpaid providers who often need help to learn how to become competent, safe volunteer workers who can better protect their family members i.e., the care recipients from harm.

Caregivers spend a substantial amount of time interacting with their care recipients, while providing care in a wide range of activities.
caregiving field conceptualize the care that family members give as assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living ,medication administration etc

Due to inadequate knowledge and skill, family caregivers may be unfamiliar with the type of care they must provide or the amount of care needed. Family caregivers may not know when they need community resources, and then may not know how to access and best utilize available resources.As a result, caregivers often neglect their own health care needs in order to assist their family member, causing deterioration in the caregiver’s health and well-being

Family caregivers are critical partners in the plan of care for patients with chronic illnesses. Nurses should be concerned with several issues that affect patient safety and quality of care as the reliance on family caregiving grows. Improvement can be obtained through communication and caregiver support to strengthen caregiver competency and teach caregivers new skills that will enhance patient safety. There is more to be learned about the effect of family caregivers on patient outcomes and areas of concern for patient safety. Nurses continue to play an important role in helping family caregivers become more confident and competent providers as they engage in the health care process.