Nurse support for family caregivers explored

To mark National Family Caregivers Month, the AARP Public Policy Institute and the American Journal of Nursing (AJN) published a series of articles about the ways nurses can help support family caregivers. Findings from the Home Alone and Home Alone Revisited studies are summarized in an article on the AARP website, while an article in AJN discusses incorporating family caregivers in the 4Ms framework used by Age-Friendly Heath Systems, an initiative supported by the American Hospital Association. “As the most trusted professionals, nurses have the opportunity to make a difference for family caregivers by engaging them, listening to their concerns and priorities, providing instruction and support, and linking them to the resources they need,” the authors of a related editorial in AJN asserted. They mention dozens of “how-to” videos, which provide a ready resource for both nurses and family caregivers. (Campaign for Action article, 11/8/21)