Supporting Caregivers in Caring: Empowered to Disempowered and Back Again

Family caregivers contribute services valued at $450 billion to the U.S. economy annually. Although family members frequently lack training in the techniques of health care, providers routinely turn to them to provide care when a patient's condition no longer meets criteria for hospitalization. This article explores the concepts of caregiver empowerment and disempowerment, offers strategies for enhancing caregiver empowerment, and describes actions that may unintentionally disempower those same individuals. Case examples are used to draw attention to cues health care personnel may encounter that signal a need to look deeper into the caregiver's capacity to provide the needed care. Early identification of barriers to capacity will permit the health care team to bring resources to bear on the patient's situation to facilitate safe transitions of care.