In Tribute to National Family Caregivers Month, the National League for Nursing Highlights ACE.C, Advancing Care Excellence for Caregivers

During National Family Caregivers Month in November, the National League for Nursing publicly salutes these too-often unsung heroes in the field of health care providers and features Advancing Care Excellence for Caregivers (ACE.C), the latest entry in the League’s signature Advancing Care Excellence series.

Family caregivers are part of a growing sector of society. By 2050, it is projected that for every 100 people, aged 15-64, there will be 36 adults 65-years-of-age or older, placing unprecedented strain on relatives called upon to handle all manner of medical/nursing needs and administrative tasks associated with complex care. It will not be uncommon for a single caregiver to be responsible for everything from medication management; changing wound dressings or adult disposable undergarments; handling feeding tubes and oxygen tanks; billing and insurance issues; and coordinating medical appointments and clinical oversight from multiple providers and institutions.

With challenges such as these affecting more and more families, the National League for Nursing, in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute, developed ACE.C. This free, downloadable instructional resource for nurse educators prepares the next generation of nurses and other health care professionals to support family-centered approaches to caregiving.

“It is important for clinicians to understand that there are positive aspects of caregiving that help motivate family members to take on this important and needed role in our communities. Nurses are often important participants in the decision-making process, when individuals must decide whether to transition a family member to a nursing home or have that person remain at home, cared for by members of the family,” said NLN President Patricia S. Yoder-Wise, RN, EdD, NEA-BC, ANEF, FANOL, FAAN, professor and dean emerita at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, editor-in-chief for The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing and the Nursing Forum, and president of the Wise Group. “Still, it’s no secret that the job of caregiving is often isolating, emotionally overwhelming, and physically draining, demanding round-the-clock attention. It’s also no secret that to take care of anyone else, caregivers must learn how to take care of themselves. That’s why this month seems the perfect timing to introduce nurse educators to ACE.C, which stresses the importance of a family-centered approach to caregiving to maximize health outcomes for patients and caregivers alike.”

Thanks to the generous support from the John A. Hartford Foundation, ACE.C now offers five teaching strategies that educators can envelope into their curricula to better prepare the next generation of nurses. The teaching strategies were created to align with the Family Caregiving competencies published by a team of scholars and thought leaders at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at University of California-Davis.

ACE.C teaching strategies are available now and cover:

• Family-Centered Communication Strategies in Family Caregiving
• Positive Aspects of Family Caregiving
• Supporting Millennials Providing Care for an Older Adult
• Technology Support for Caregivers of Older Adults: Exploring Gerontechnology and Health Policy/Research Implications
• Using the Emma Stracener Case Study to Examine Technology Support Options for Caregivers of Older Adults

Said NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, “In efforts to help our elders age in place in their homes, it is important for nurses to be able to recognize and understand the positive aspects of caregiving. Communicating these aspects can help families see the full picture when assuming the role. This understanding also provides a mechanism for nurses to support families along the journey. I urge nurse educators to take advantage of these superb professional development resources to improve the instruction of students and nurses working with the families of frail elderly and others with chronic debilitating conditions.”

The ACE.C teaching strategies follow the same innovative, highly regarded and successful format of previous ACE programs, guided and informed by the League’s core values of caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence. As with all ACE resources, the ACE.C program is appropriate for use across the nursing academic spectrum, both onsite or online. For complete information about ACE.C, including all downloadable free resources, and the comprehensive ACE program, advancing care excellence for vulnerable populations, click here.

About the National League for Nursing
Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers professional development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 40,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations. Learn more at NLN.org Events | News Release Archive | NLN Press | NLN Vision Series (Position Statements)

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