Domains of Family Empowerment for Self-Management in Palliative Care: A Scoping Review.

TL;DR

A scoping review of 22 studies identified three key domains of family empowerment in palliative care: knowledge empowerment (patient condition and symptom understanding), caregiving empowerment (communication and decision-making), and psychological-emotional empowerment (caregiver mental health and grief preparedness). These integrated domains are essential for sustaining family caregiving roles in palliative settings.

Key findings

• Three core domains identified: knowledge empowerment (understanding disease, symptoms, end-of-life), family caregiving empowerment (communication, decision-making, care planning, social support), and psychological-emotional empowerment (mental health, self-care, grief)
• Family members often assume primary caregiving roles due to limited formal palliative care services availability
• Integration of all three empowerment domains is necessary to support sustainability and effectiveness of family caregiving
• Systematic evidence mapping addresses a significant gap in understanding how to strengthen family caregiver capacity in palliative care

Why this matters at the bedside

High relevance for palliative care providers and care teams developing family support interventions. Identifies framework for comprehensive caregiver empowerment beyond informational support alone, encompassing practical care skills and emotional/psychological needs.