Parmar Jasneet, Torti Jacqueline, Brémault-Phillips Suzette, Charles Lesley, Chan Karenn, Tian Peter George J
Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Covenant Health-Network of Excellence in Seniors' Health and Wellness, Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Can Geriatr J. 2018 Dec 30;21(4):292-296. doi: 10.5770/cgj.21.317. eCollection 2018 Dec.
Family caregivers who provide care to seniors at no cost to the healthcare system are an integral part of the healthcare system. Caregiving, however, can cause significant emotional, physical and financial burden. We held a one-day symposium on how to best involve and support family caregivers in the healthcare system. The symposium brought together caregivers, healthcare providers, administrators and policy-makers to identify needs and make recommendations to address these issues.
Participants engaged in conversation circles which were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were qualitatively analyzed alongside written notes provided by participants.
Symposium participants identified a lack of both orientation and education for healthcare providers about family caregivers and standardized processes for assessing caregiver burden. They highlighted a need to ensure that the family experience is captured and included as an essential component of care, foster a culture of collaboration, expand the notion of the healthcare team to include family caregivers, provide more integrated palliative care, and enhance policies and programs to acknowledge family caregivers.
There is a need to recognize the essential role of family caregivers in seniors' health and well-being, and to take on a more comprehensive approach to patient care.
无偿为医疗系统照料老年人的家庭照护者是医疗系统不可或缺的一部分。然而，照护工作可能会带来巨大的情感、身体和经济负担。我们举办了一场为期一天的研讨会，探讨如何在医疗系统中更好地让家庭照护者参与进来并给予支持。该研讨会汇聚了照护者、医疗服务提供者、管理人员和政策制定者，以确定需求并提出解决这些问题的建议。
参与者参与了对话圈，对话进行了录音和转录。数据与参与者提供的书面笔记一起进行了定性分析。
研讨会参与者指出，医疗服务提供者缺乏关于家庭照护者的入职培训和教育，也缺乏评估照护者负担的标准化流程。他们强调需要确保将家庭体验作为护理的重要组成部分加以记录和纳入，营造合作文化，扩大医疗团队的概念以纳入家庭照护者，提供更综合的姑息治疗，并加强政策和项目以认可家庭照护者。
有必要认识到家庭照护者在老年人健康和福祉方面的重要作用，并采取更全面的患者护理方法。
