Essay On Family Caregiving

Guideline: Family Caregiving. In: Evidence Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice
Development of The Evidence Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice Guideline originated with the goal of providing strategies that would allow nursing to monitor and support family caregivers (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.). Evidence selection and collection occurred utilizing the PICO question methodology to hand search primary and secondary relevant published literature, in addition to electronic database searches. The data was then analyzed via a meta-analysis of the published materials garnered from the search in addition to a systematic review of the evidence. From the preceding analysis of the evidence, major recommendations arose for

which the literary evidence provided support. The risks and benefits of the recommendations were analyzed in addition to implementation recommendations. Lastly, the guideline was validated through internal and external peer review.
Summary of Practice Recommendations
Initial assessment of the context in which the family member would provide care is outline and includes evaluation of the relationship between the care provider and recipient, the roles and responsibilities, the duration, household status, physical environment, financial and other resources, in addition to the families cultural background (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.).

Furthermore, assessment of the caregiver’s perception of the health and functional status of the patient, the preparedness of the caregiver for the job of caregiving is assessed.
In addition, there are guidelines to assist with assessing the quality of the family relationships, indicators of problems that would indicate poor quality of care, and methods to assess the caregiver’s physical and mental statues that could affect their ability to provide care.
Lastly, the protocol provides nursing strategies that assist the nurse in evaluating the steps to identify the skills the caregiver will require and the steps to set up an effective plan to move forward with assisting the caregiver in successfully managing in home care provision (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,

n.d.).
How Are These Recommendations Similar to or Different From Those Currently Practiced in Your Clinical Setting?
I currently work in Home Health and our goal as visiting nurses and case managers is to assist the patient and family to long term successful care in the home without the utilization of outside nursing resources when possible. The ability to provide a working plan is essential to the successful implementation of a family member as care provider (Buscher, Astedt-Kurki, Paavilainen, & Schnepp, 2011). The practice in our agency is very similar to the guideline from the AHRQ. In collaboration with social work, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, nursing evaluates the situation and provides a recommendation to transition to family provided care when it is appropriate. The guidelines we follow are nearly identical to what is recommended in the Evidence Based Geriatric Nursing Protocols for Best Practice.