[Netherlands] A care ethical perspective on family caregiver burden and support

[Netherlands] A care ethical perspective on family caregiver burden and support
Nursing Ethics; by Maaike Haan, Jelle van Gurp, Marianne Boenink, Gert Olthuis; 3/25
Family care-when partners, relatives, or other proxies care for each other in case of illness, disability, or frailty-is increasingly considered an important pillar for the sustainability of care systems. Especially in a palliative care context, however, family care can be challenging. Witnessing caregivers' challenges may prompt compassionate nurses to undertake actions to reduce burden by adjusting tasks or activities. The question is then whether self-sacrifice is a problem that nurses should immediately solve. Therefore, we suggest that caregiver experiences should always be interpreted in an explorative dialogue, focused on what caring means to a particular family caregiver. Nurses do not have to liberate family caregivers from the situation but should support them in whatever overwhelms or drives them in standing-by their loved ones until the end.