Family caregiver versus nursing assessments of elderly self-care abilities

An assessment guide to be used by family caregivers would provide positive reinforcement oriented to what elderly family members can do in caring for themselves. Findings from this study indicate that there is an acceptable level of agreement between assessments of elderly self-care by family caregivers of dependent elderly and nursing assessments of the same self-care abilities. By actively involving family caregivers in the assessment of self-care abilities of their dependent elderly, family integrity and functioning may also be enhanced and families may feel more competent and less burdened as they provide assistance to elderly family members.