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Partnership is both a goal and an approach to family-centered care (FCC). Family members play an important role alongside the health-care team when an older family member is admitted to the hospital. Family involvement in care for an older person forms a partnership approach where health professionals and the family engage collaboratively in care. This enhances the quality of care and family satisfaction with care. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential areas of partnerships of family members with health-care professionals while caring for older people based on the perspective of FCC.

A literature review was carried out.

The findings of this study focus on how healthcare professionals can listen to, respect the perspectives of family members, and share useful information with the family while caring for an older person. Family participation in providing care and collaboration between healthcare professionals and families is a seminal goal strategy in caring for older people during hospitalization. It is helpful to family members as a way of training and preparing them to assist their loved one after hospital discharge. Furthermore, it can establish a good relationship between healthcare professionals and families.

Partnership between health-care professionals and families helps and supports the older people and the family in managing the health condition the following discharge from the hospital.

Multiple pathologies and age-related physiological changes lead to acute respiratory failure. This necessitates mechanical ventilation among elderly patients. Mechanically ventilated critically ill elderly patients may confront various problems, including physical and psychological issues. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present the frequent problems encountered by critically ill elderly patients and management of such problems.

This paper reviews relevant literatures.

Physical problems include pain and respiratory infections. Additionally, psychological problems include anxiety and stress. Such problems should be managed by physicians, nurses and family members. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches can be used to manage these problems. Pharmacological management involves use of medications, while non-pharmacological interventions include use of music therapy, acupuncture and sensory stimulation.

The paper indicates physical and psychological problems of mechanically ventilated critically ill elderly patients. To ensure effective management of complications encountered by mechanically ventilated elderly patients, health-care professionals ought to be aware of physical and psychological age-related changes.

This study aims to describe the experiences of critically ill elderly patients (CIEPs) who were treated using the high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) after extubation.

A descriptive phenomenological approach was conducted to interview eleven CIEPs using face-to-face semi-unstructured interviews. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Giorgi’s method.

Experiences of CIEPs included their fears of failure, getting comfortable and uncomfortable, as well as asking for assistance. Fears of failure were described as involving worsening symptoms related to their diseases and failure of HFNC leading to the need for reintubation. While receiving HFNC, their breathing was comfortable, and they were free from intubation. However, they were uncomfortable because of the sensation of burning in the nasal passages. Additionally, they asked for assistance from nurses in managing their symptoms, and the alarms of HFNC oxygen therapy devices resulted in fears of HFNC failure.

The paper indicates that CIEPs experienced physical and psychological impacts from HFNC oxygen therapy (e.g. burning sensation in the nose and fear of failure). Although they had comfortable breathing, being uncomfortable also occurred. Therefore, health-care professionals should support what CIEPs need and develop a program or guidelines for managing the complications of HFNC – neither burning noses nor psychological issues enhance the comfort of CIEPs – by considering age-related changes.

This paper aims to explore the perspectives of registered nurses towards communication with family members of older people with a tracheostomy.

A qualitative design was used. Ten participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were used in collecting data. Data were analysed by thematic analysis.

The four themes identified were as follows: communication by considering time difference; considering factors related to effective communication, either family member–related factors or registered nurse–related factors; strategies of communicating to support family members, such as giving an opportunity to ask for accurate information, communicating to build self-confidence and communicating through cases; and using the art of communication by speaking slowly and clearly, using colloquialisms, being steady and calm, as well as using positive language.

Having strategies and using the art of communication are important to help family members in obtaining accurate information and in building self-confidence in the care of older people.

The paper indicates that registered nurses consider factors related to communication, and they gave more information to family members using effective strategies and the art of communication. Therefore, effective communication training to nursing teams should be performed to promote adherence to treatment and family members’ satisfaction.

This study aims to explain the experiences of nursing students while they practiced gerontological nursing through online media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purposive sampling was used to select 20 third-year nursing students. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants. The collected data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method to identify recurring themes and patterns.

Four themes emerged from the interviews, including improved practical skills, the impact of online learning, receiving support from close individuals and the need for support. Participants provided specific examples of how they improved their skills through online learning and described the importance of receiving support from those close to them during this challenging time.

Online media is essential for teaching nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the main reason for teaching nursing students during times of restricted access to clinical settings. This research provides insights into the challenges and benefits associated with using digital platforms to teach gerontological practice for nursing students.

This study aims to examine the factors predicting burden among the male caregivers of older adults with stroke.

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 98 male caregivers in the outpatient department’s neurological clinic, at Banphaeo General Hospital. Data was collected using six questionnaires: the demographic questionnaire, the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale, the perceived health status interview form, the caregiver and patient relationship interview form, the Barthel ADL index and the Zarit burden interview. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis.

The male caregivers of older adults with stroke had a mild to moderate level of burden. Factors such as depression of caregivers and activities of daily living of older adults predicted the burden among male caregivers, explaining 53.6% of the variance. The findings imply that nurses can plan new approaches and interventions to alleviate the burden of male caregivers by reducing their depression levels and encouraging activities of daily living in the older adults. In addition, effective programs can be developed to provide informational support to caregivers for reducing their burden level.

Male caregivers with depressive symptoms had an increased caregiving burden. Therefore, health-care professionals should support and formulate guidelines to reduce the burden of caregiving among the male caregivers by considering predictive factors.

The purpose of this paper is to describe family caregivers’ experiences of providing care for older people with a tracheostomy during hospitalization.

A descriptive phenomenological approach was used in this study. A total of 40 family caregivers were interviewed face-to-face in medical-surgical wards. Data was analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological method.

Family caregivers described meanings of providing care, learning how to provide care, caring activities, impacts of caregiving, support needs and qualities of being a caregiver. Meanings included filial responsibility, spousal attachment and end of life care. Caring activities were varied. Impacts experienced were reported as physical, psychological, social and financial. Caregivers expressed the need for information from the nursing team and assistance from their relatives. Positive caregiver qualities that were described included loving to provide care for older people and confidence and sincerity in caregiving.

Although caring for older people with a tracheostomy was difficult and came with challenging impacts, family caregivers were willing to support their loved ones due to feelings of family responsibility.

The paper addresses family participation in providing care for people with a tracheostomy. They experience physical, psychological, social and financial consequences of caregiving. Therefore, health-care professionals should support family caregivers with education, training and awareness of supports and resources for dealing with problematic impacts and other expressed needs.

Elderly patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation are treated with a tracheostomy. Oftentimes, the family caregivers need to participate in the care for elderly patients with a tracheostomy during hospitalization. Therefore, this paper was conducted to acknowledge what family caregivers experience while caregiving for hospitalized elderly patients with a tracheostomy.

This literature review identifies family caregiver participation in caregiving for the elderly patient, the impact of caregiving, and the needs of family caregivers.

Family caregivers participate in the planning and provision of care to elderly patients. Furthermore, they also collaborate in the therapeutic process for elderly patients as well. Albeit the former sentiments, they experience physical, psychological, social and financial consequences of caregiving. It has been revealed that during the process of caring for their loved ones, family caregivers often experience poor sleep quality, strain, reduction in social interaction and insufficient income. Thus, health-care professionals should support and provide care for the needs of family caregivers. This can be achieved through providing information on prognosis, the care plan, emotional support and collaboration during the therapeutic process to provide better care for elderly patients with a tracheostomy. In addition, family caregivers’ relatives can also provide financial support and rotation of caregiving schedules to avoid burnout.

The paper indicates that family caregivers experience the impacts of caregiving. They should be supported by health-care professionals and their relatives.