Elder-family caregiver relationships. Determining appropriate nursing interventions.

Providing excellent care to elders involves more than the nurse's ability to minister to them; it is dependent on nurses' focusing assessment and intervention on the elder-caregiver dyad. Only by planning nursing care within the context of the dyad and considering the needs of the elder, the caregiver, and the unit, is it possible for nursing to realize its potential for improving the care of all elderly clients.