That is where the role of family caregiver comes into focus. Caregivers are daughters, wives, mothers, husbands, fathers, sons, siblings, grandchildren, other relatives, partners, and friends. For some people, caregiving occurs gradually over time. For others, it can happen overnight. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving, one in six Americans are considered a family caregiver by policymakers and providers. Families need information and support to assist them in their critical role as caregivers, but frequently they do not know where to turn for help. The School of Nursing and Health Studies is dedicated to helping family caregivers provide care to their loved ones, create healthy support structures for those caregivers, and provide education to its nursing students to help them meet the needs of this community which often feels alone and isolated.
Utilizing the cutting-edge Simulation Hospital and landmark telemedicine resources, researchers at SONHS are creating ground-breaking partnerships and opportunities for family caregivers that cut across ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic lines. SONHS is taking the lead in creating approaches to address one the most wide-reaching challenges in health care today: improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and empowering family caregivers in underserved communities and vulnerable populations.
