Teaching Wound Care to Family Caregivers

This chapter discusses the type of work caregivers do. Among the medical procedures that caregivers do that are mentioned in the chapter are: intravenous therapies (IVs), total parenteral nutrition (TPN), gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) and nasogastric tubes (NG-tubes), urinary catheters, external catheters, intermittent catheters, wound care, ostomy, bowel management programs, respiratory procedures, tracheostomy, and positive-pressure ventilators. The chapter discusses caregiver insights and the dilemmas they face in having to provide skilled care. In general, many of the medical procedures are not only difficult to master but also cause trepidation because of the possible complications that can result if the caregiver makes a mistake. Several caregivers who gave IVs said they worried about contaminating the IV site or shooting air in the line. In hospitals, problems with medication administration are a leading cause of death, and so are infections that occur when a wound is not correctly dressed or an IV carefully accessed. Yet family caregivers are asked to do these activities on a routine basis — over a period of months or even years. The worry about complications is well founded, as they can have deleterious consequences. Coupled with issues of anxiety and fear of causing harm to the care recipient are issues of manual dexterity and “getting the feel” of the procedures. Not only do caregivers have to overcome fear, get the feel of procedures, and make sure they are done correctly, but they also have to get past the personal discomfort they may have regarding the intimate nature of the work they are asked to do.

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Teaching Wound Care to Family Caregivers

Home Healthcare Now ◽

10.1097/nhh.0000000000001044 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. E1-E1

Keyword(s):

Family Caregivers ◽

Wound Care

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Nursing care or wounded people’s relatives: boundaries and possibilities

Revista de Enfermagem UFPE on line ◽

10.5205/reuol.1050-9540-1-le.0404201009 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 1643

Author(s):

Andrea Gonçalves Bandeira ◽

Valquíria de Lourdes Machado Bielemann ◽

Cláudia Medeiros Centeno Gallo ◽

Sidnéia Tessmer Casarin

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Nursing Care ◽

Wound Dressing ◽

Wound Care ◽

Rio Grande ◽

Adult Health ◽

Rio Grande Do Sul ◽

Mutual Support ◽

Simple Observation

ABSTRACTObjective: to identify the boundaries and possibilities experienced by families of wounded people who were assisted by a Wound Dressing Team. Methododology: descriptive and exploratory qualitative study, through simple observation. It was carried out with four family caregivers of patients who were treated by a major hospital’s Wound Dressing Team in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data was collected in October and November, 2008. After being grouped according to topics, it was analyzed. Results: results provided a better understanding of the resources regarding wound care deployed by families. It also allowed for identifying the hospital’s Wound Dressing Team’s credibility, for, despite not being in the institution anymore, patients still considered the hospital their first option concerning treatment. Conclusion: amid all the difficulties experienced by families concerned with wound care, the mutual support among family members was highlighted. This situation was fostered by the availability of a quality and reliable service for wound care. Descriptors: nursing; delivery of health care; adult health; wound healing. RESUMO Objetivo: identificar os limites e as possibilidades encontrados pelas famílias frente ao cuidado de feridas a domicílio de clientes acompanhados por profissionais de um Grupo de Curativos. Metodologia: estudo descritivo e exploratório, de abordagem qualitativa com uso da observação simples. Foi realizado com quatro familiares cuidadores de clientes que utilizaram o serviço do Grupo de Curativos de um hospital de grande porte da região sul do Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil. Os dados foram coletados nos meses de outubro e novembro de 2008 e analisados a partir de temáticas. Resultados: os resultados proporcionaram um entendimento maior sobre os recursos utilizados pelas famílias no cuidado com as feridas, assim como proporcionou identificar a credibilidade sustentada pelo Grupo de Curativos do hospital palco do estudo, uma vez que os pacientes atendidos não estavam mais internados na instituição e esta continuava sendo a primeira escolha dos mesmos em relação ao tratamento. Conclusão: em meio a todas as dificuldades, vividas pelas famílias no cuidado de feridas, o que mais se destacou foi o apoio mútuo entre os membros do grupo familiar, ao estar em casa realizando os cuidados e por disponibilizarem de um serviço de referência e de confiança para o tratamento de feridas. Descritores: enfermagem; assistência a saúde; saúde do adulto; cicatrização de feridas.RESUMENObjetivo: identificar los límites y las posibilidades encontrados por las familias frente al cuidado de heridas en el domicilio de clientes acompañados por profesionales de un Grupo de Curativos. Metodología: estudio descriptivo y exploratorio, de abordaje cualitativa con uso de la observación simple. Fue realizado con cuatro familiares cuidadores de clientes que utilizaron el servicio del Grupo de Curativos de un hospital de grande porte de la región sur de Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil. Los datos fueron colectados en los meses de octubre y noviembre de 2008 y analizados a partir de temáticas. Resultados: los resultados proporcionaron un entendimiento mayor sobre los recursos utilizados por las familias en el cuidado de las heridas, así como proporcionó identificar la credibilidad sustentada por el Grupo de Curativos del hospital escenario del estudio, una vez que los pacientes atendidos no estaban más internados en la institución y esta seguía siendo la primera elección de los mismos en relación al tratamiento. Conclusión: en medio del todas las dificultades, vividas por las familias en el cuidado de heridas, lo que más se destacó fue el apoyo mutuo entre los miembros del grupo familiar, al estar en casa realizando los cuidados y por tener un servicio de referencia y de confianza para el tratamiento de heridas. Descriptores: enfermeria; prestación de atención de salud; salud del adulto; cicatrización de heridas; salud publica.

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Diabetes Education Needs of Family Members Caring for American Indian Elders

The Diabetes Educator ◽

10.1177/014572179902500507 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 747-754 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Catherine Hagen Hennessy ◽

Robert John ◽

Lynda A. Anderson

Keyword(s):

Focus Groups ◽

American Indian ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Diabetes Care ◽

Care Management ◽

Diabetes Management ◽

Wound Care ◽

Family Members ◽

Home Dialysis ◽

Wide Range

PURPOSE this qualitative study investigated diabetes care management among family members of American Indian elders with self-care limitations. Focus groups were used to examine the reasons for and content of diabetes care management, the challenges faced, and the support services needed. METHODS Five focus groups were conducted with family caregivers from six tribes. Caregivers' responses related to care management were identified and categorized into themes. RESULTS Participants reported that they provided assistance with a wide range of diabetes care tasks (eg, skin and wound care, in-home dialysis) depending on the elder's level of impairment. Caregivers described three major challenges related to diabetes care management: (1) anxiety about in-home care, (2) coping with psychosocial issues, and (3) decision making and communication problems with other family members. They emphasized the importance of developing a care routine for successful diabetes management. CONCLUSIONS Based on these findings, we suggest areas where diabetes educators can assist American Indian family caregivers in meeting the needs of frail elders in the home.

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Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment in Hospices: A Qualitative Analysis

Journal of Palliative Care ◽

10.1177/082585970301900104 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 9-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Andrew Eisenberger ◽

Jomarie Zeleznik

Keyword(s):

Family Caregivers ◽

Pressure Ulcer ◽

Wound Care ◽

Direct Care ◽

Patient Comfort ◽

Pressure Ulcer Prevention ◽

Future Studies ◽

Hospice Patients ◽

Prevention And Treatment ◽

Ulcer Prevention

There has been little research into pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in hospices. In this study, interviews with hospice directors of clinical services and direct-care nurses were analyzed using qualitative methods. Several general themes were found. Both pressure ulcer prevention and treatment can be painful to hospice patients. Comfort may supersede prevention and wound care when patients are actively dying or have conditions causing them to have a single position of comfort. Family caregivers must face additional burdens when a pressure ulcer develops. In conclusion, hospice providers, patients, and family caregivers together must balance patient comfort with pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, which often leads to decisions to accept death with a pressure ulcer. Future studies should clarify how these parties can best work together, especially to identify when prevention or treatment has become futile.

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POLICY SERIES: NEW FAMILY CAREGIVING RESEARCH TO SUPPORT POLICY AND PRACTICE CHANGE

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2739 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S747-S747

Author(s):

Jean C Accius ◽

Heather Young

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Public Policy ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Family Caregiving ◽

Wound Care ◽

Economic Value ◽

The United States ◽

Practice Change ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

New Family

Abstract Families are the most important source of support to older adults. Today, there is growing recognition of the escalating complexity of family caregiving. Family caregivers are increasingly carrying out health-related tasks with little training or preparation, as well as continuing to provide the majority of long-term services and supports (LTSS) at home. Providing care in the context of rapidly changing health care and LTSS systems can have a significant impact on the family members who provide care and take a significant toll, emotionally, physically, and financially. Studies commonly show that family caregivers report learning complex tasks by trial and error and worry about making a mistake. This symposium highlights new caregiving research from the AARP Public Policy Institute. The first paper will present new research on the increasing complexity of the challenges facing family caregivers, such as managing multiple medications, wound care, and interaction with the health care system. The second paper will present new data on the economic value of the unpaid contributions of family caregivers in the United States. The third paper will examine the growing importance of family caregiving on the public policy agenda, and describe recent policy developments that recognize and explicitly support caregiving families. Recommendations for policy and practice change to address caregiving needs will be examined in all papers. Our discussant will identify key implications from this research for policymakers and practitioners, and potential drivers for developing a better system of family support at the federal and state levels.

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