The Family Carer Group Education Program

A resource for health professionals working in palliative care.

Palliative care aims to help people with an advanced incurable disease and one of the key features of palliative care is support for family carers. Research shows that a significant proportion of family carers are prone to negative financial, physical, psychological and social outcomes.

Family carers consistently report that they desire information and guidance to prepare them for their role. Supporting family carers also indirectly promotes the well-being of the person diagnosed with advanced disease.

The Family Carer Group Education Program outlined in this resource has been comprehensively evaluated. The program has shown it can significantly improve how prepared and competent carers feel.  After attending the program, family carers also report less unmet needs and are more able to acknowledge positive aspects associated with being a carer.

This resource has been designed to assist health care professionals to conduct The Family Carer Group Education Program in their setting.

It includes demonstrations of key parts of the program, interviews with health professionals and family carers who have participated in the program, and a full set of instructional slides for the program.

This resource may also be useful as a teaching aid for students of palliative care.

Developed by:
The Centre for Palliative Care Education and Research
- St Vincent’s Health
and
The University of Melbourne