Family Caregivers in Palliative Care

Abstract

AbstractFamily caregivers are essential to the overall care and well-being of individuals with chronic and serious illness. As important partners in healthcare, caregivers provide critical assistance to ill relatives, caring for their day-to-day needs, assisting with decision-making, assessing symptoms, administering medications, and providing companionship. Palliative care teams recognize the importance of family caregivers in care planning. The palliative social worker is uniquely trained in caregiver assessment with the requisite skills to directly address caregiver needs, promote coping, link caregivers with community resources, and provide continuity and support throughout the illness trajectory. This chapter provides an overview of caregivers in the United States, including policy developments and needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caregiver assessment is discussed using the framework of the National Consensus Project domains. A wide range of social work interventions are shared. The chapter ends with a call to action in the areas of clinical social work, research, and education.