Given, Barbara A.

Objectives: To describe common areas of threats to patient safety and quality of care when caregivers provide care. Recommendations for caregivers to enable them to provide safe care are included.; Data Sources: Research-based articles and reports.; Conclusion: The literature is limited in discussion on home safety issues for caregivers.

In recent years, end-of-life care has been receiving attention in the lay and professional press. Integral to the concerns for patient-centered supportive care is the need to focus on the family caregiver, as they are directly involved in the patient's care. This article describes relevant challenges for the family caregiver, including information about types of care, scheduling and logistics, patient physical care, including symptom management, caregiver emotional and physical health, advance directives, coordination of care, and communication.