Policy recommendations for family caregiver support

Global women's health: a spotlight on caregiving

Caregiving is a women's health issue globally, as many more women than men are informal caregivers. Caregiving related to gender role socialization, burden, and economic and health consequences has been discussed in the literature. Together this body of work demonstrates some positive but mainly negative consequences to the health and economic circumstances of women. Overall achievement of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals has important implications for informal caregivers globally, because achievement of these goals is essential to reducing the undue burden, the lost opportunities, and the injustice of health care systems that take advantage of women's volunteer caregiving.

Having a Sibling With Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study

Limited attention has been paid to experiences of individuals with siblings diagnosed with schizophrenia. The purpose of this article is to address this gap by exploring the impact of having a brother or sister with schizophrenia. The lived experience of 6 individuals with a sibling with schizophrenia was explored using van Manen’s (1997) Hermeneutic Phenomenology. Four themes were identified: struggling to understand, struggling with the system, caring for the sibling, and seeing beyond the illness. Health care providers need to re-evaluate current approaches for assisting individuals to cope with having a sibling with schizophrenia. Inclusion in the plan of care and recognition of their struggle is essential for individuals having a sibling with schizophrenia.

Improving geriatric care knowledge, competency, and resourcefulness of home care nurses and aides

Home care nurses aides have opportunities to support families caring for frail elders; however, most lack specialized geriatric knowledge, competence, and resourcefulness skills essential to caring for vulnerable elders and assisting their families. This study compares the pretest and posttest intervention scores of a geriatric care continuing education program for nurses and aides. Specific participant outcomes include increased geriatric knowledge, competency, and resourcefulness.