Following a patient’s stay in a hospital or healthcare facility, much of their care is then provided by family caregivers. When a patient leaves the healthcare facility, the family member assumes the role of caregiver along with all the benefits and burdens. The purpose of this presentation is to reflect on the ethical issues in family caregiving and how we can appreciate the lived experience of patients and families.

Nicholas R. Mercado, DrPH, MCHES, HEC-C, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. He holds a B.S. in Community Health from SUNY Potsdam, his Master of Public Health from Hofstra University, and his Doctor of Public Health from New York Medical College. Nick completed his clinical ethics fellowship in 2018 at Northwell Health on Long Island and is a healthcare ethics consultant certified through the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. Nick serves as Director of the Bioethics curricular thread for the 4-year MD curriculum here at URSMD, teaches in the Master of Science in Medical Humanities program, and serves as one of the core clinical ethics consultants for URMC. He is also a musician, singer, and actor which, he says, helps him in his roles as an educator and ethics consultant.