How Can Gi Nurses Support Caregivers?

Abstract

T he 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers was constructed to support the growing population of over 53 million family caregivers living in the United States (aaRP and National alliance for Caregiving, 2020; The Recognize, assist, Include, Support, and Engage [RaISE] act Family Caregiving advisory Council & The advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, 2022). More than one in five americans are caregivers, providing extensive, unpaid support to family members or friends with personal care, meal preparation, transportation, education, and financial management, among other essential tasks (aaRP and National alliance for Caregiving, 2020). The National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers highlights the enormous value of caregivers, who provide an estimated economic value of $600 billion of unpaid care at significant personal expense (Reinhard, Caldera, Houser, & Choula, 2023). The purpose of the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers is to recognize, assist, include, support, and engage family caregivers through the aligned actions of federal, state, and community organizations. These ongoing efforts are also a critical reminder to gastroenterology nurses to integrate caregivers in the provision of high-quality gastrointestinal (GI) care.Caregiving intersects the experiences of individuals of all genders, races, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. While many caregivers report positive impacts resulting from their caregiving responsibilities, many also report extensive mental, physical, and financial impacts resulting from the management of the complex care needs of their care recipients (aaRP and National alliance for Caregiving, 2020). Some caregivers experience loneliness and isolation due to the time constraints of caregiving; others experience high levels of stress and burden, which may influence caregivers' quality of life (aaRP and National alliance for Caregiving, 2020). additionally, many caregivers report high financial contributions on behalf of their care recipients, with the average