Involving family members in the care of military personnel and Veterans: A decisional counselling intervention

Abstract

LAY SUMMARY Changes to health care delivery mean that family members are increasingly called upon to provide informal care for injured or ill military personnel and Veterans. When one family member has a long-term physical or mental health condition, many areas of family life are affected (e.g., emotional functioning, daily activities, family relationships, health and sleep, holidays, care involvement and caregiving support, work and study, and finances). One way to better support families is to meaningfully involve them in care planning and coordination. This article discusses some of the challenges that practitioners and families face when working as partners in care. It also offers practitioners a way to talk with military personnel and Veterans about the value of sharing their health-related information with family members.