Safety of Care by Caregivers of Cancer Patients.

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. Non cancer-specific literature provides some direction for recommendations for nurses to guide caregivers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: The home environment is an unregulated and uncontrolled site, and the safety risks families take are unknown. Professionals should assess the caregiver's knowledge and ability when providing caregiving guidance to ensure the patient is receiving safe and quality care. Nurses need to stress the importance of providing safe quality care and provide education and community resources.