References
Advance planning for co-caring couples
Abstract
This article explores joint advance planning for co-caring couples in the community, a group growing in number and need. A health crisis for one, exposes the vulnerability of the other. Lack of planning for this eventuality leaves health and social care struggling to provide an adequate safety net in a short timeframe. This inability to adequately support, can lead to harm to the couple.
The authors conducted a formal reflective investigation to discover themes that impacted on their ability to meet the needs of such a couple in their care. The themes were: the need for advanced care planning in co-caring situations; capacity assessed through different lenses; using safeguarding systems appropriately to support questions of capacity; challenges when care is not accepted; and compassion fatigue. These themes were then used to develop an action plan to improve ways of working to reduce risk in these situations.
Carers UK (2015) have reported that more than 87 000 carers are over 85 years. These individuals often provide long hours of care and support, which has an impact on—among other things — their finances, and mental and physical wellbeing. This ultimately, renders them incapable of carrying on their responsibilities (Carers UK, 2015; Carers Trust, 2015). A survey has shown that 72% of older carers (aged 65 years and over) report feeling ‘not good’ (Carers Trust, 2015).
The authors, who are Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registered nurses, working as advanced clinical practitioners for long-term conditions (ACP-LTC) for a community trust, regularly facilitate multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings where complex cases are discussed. They have found such complex cases increasingly involve co-caring couples. The implications of this dyadic dynamic, wherein two parts of a whole depend on each other to function, are accentuated in cases where lack of family or friends leave a couple isolated in their co-caring responsibilities (Tranberg, 2021; Happ et al, 2022).
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