Families need help too: group treatment for families of nursing home residents

Despite long-standing interest in the family as the focal point of nursing care, there are few published reports of clinical interventions with families after they institutionalize an elderly relative. Family members experience loss, guilt, and grief, and report that these emotions continue throughout the time that their older member is in the nursing home. This paper presents the rationale for using a supportive, educational group approach with families of nursing home residents and describes a family group intervention, detailing the role of the geriatric mental health nurse specialist, group goals, and the focus of each session. Evaluations by families and staff are presented, and recommendations for practice are made.