In the past 10 years, systematic assessment of people with chronic or disabling conditions has come to be recognized as the foundation of effective long-term care. Yet despite research showing that family members who provide care at home are vulnerable to health, emotional and financial challenges, long-term care assessment rarely takes their needs into account. To address this gap, the National Center on Caregiving of the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) has released a national consensus report calling on healthcare and social services providers to routinely assess caregivers. 

"This groundbreaking report promotes basic principles and guidelines that redefine our care practices to acknowledge that family-centered care is important," said ASA member Lynn Friss Feinberg, director of the project and associate director of the National Center on Caregiving. "Practitioners must consider not only how the family caregiver can help the frail elder, but also how the service provider can help the family.

"Part of the way we can support the frail elder's family and friends who are caregivers is to capture information on the caregiving situation and legitimize the process of listening to and directly supporting family members," Feinberg added. "What we learn can then be used to help all concerned achieve the best possible quality of life -- which should be the goal of assessment."

To download the two parts of FCA's National Consensus Report on Caregiver Assessment free of charge, click here. A follow-up publication -- a caregiver assessment tool kit for practitioners -- will be released later this year. For more information, contact Feinberg at (800) 445-8106.

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