THE PREPARED FAMILY CAREGIVER - A PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH TO FAMILY CAREGIVER EDUCATION

Early hospital discharges, greater reliance on outpatient care, and th e growing prevalence of chronic diseases has increased the demands on family members who care for patients at home. Family caregivers need i nformation and training to insure that patients' needs are met and tha t home care is coordinated with that of health professionals. We propo se a prescriptive problem-solving model for how care should be managed at home and for the kinds of information and training family caregive rs should receive. The Prepared Family Caregiver model, which is summa rized in the acronym COPE (Creativity, Optimism, Planning, and Expert information), teaches family caregivers how to develop and carry out o rderly plans which address both medical and psychosocial problems and are coordinated with care plans of health professionals. The model is based on extensive research on problem-solving training and therapy. I t empowers family members and patients for coping with illness and can help to moderate caregiver stress.