Some people who live alone are denied a transplant
Important Points
Experts say a 24-hour caregiver is not necessary
A 24-hour caregiver is not necessary, but standards are needed
Blood or marrow transplant (BMT) can cure blood cancers, sickle cell disease, and other serious diseases. However, BMT also can have serious health effects long after transplant. For this reason, many hospitals in the US refuse to do BMT for people who don’t have a caregiver available 24 hours a day for several months after transplant.
A recent workshop on requirements for caregivers included 38 people: doctors, patients, caregivers, insurers, and other experts. The group agreed that patients often need help with 4 tasks:
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Monitor the patient (fever, blood pressure, and overall functioning)
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Help the patient take medicines
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Report changes to the patient’s doctors
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Drive the patient to the hospital in case of emergencies
What’s next
The workshop group said future research should:
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Compare results of patients who do and do not have caregivers
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Measure how long patients live, and their quality of life and finances
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Create standard tests to identify which community resources patients and caregivers need to improve their access to care
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Plan ways to connect patients with resources in their community
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Help doctors tailor plans for each patient and caregiver
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Explore smart devices that report a patient’s health to their doctor
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Help patients who have problems paying for care
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Help patients who live far away from transplant centers
Keep In Mind
Ask your doctor about resources in your community to help monitor a patient’s health, give medicines, and transport a patient to doctor visits.
This plain-language summary was written by Jennifer Motl at the Medical College of Wisconsin and reviewed by an author of the full article. ©2025 by CIBMTR, license CC BY-SA 4.0.
Learn More About
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Resources for caregivers at NMDP.org
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Support for patients at NMDP.org
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More study summaries at CIBMTR.org
Source
Preussler JM, DeSalvo AM, Tweeten B, et al. Proceedings From the Second Reimagining Caregiver Workshop: Addressing Caregiver Requirements for Hematopoietic Cell Transplant. Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. 2025 Sep 11:S2666-6367(25)01405-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2025.08.027. Epub ahead of print.
About This Research Summary
CIBMTR® (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research®) thanks study participants. This information is provided on behalf of the Consumer Advocacy Committee of CIBMTR. CIBMTR is a research collaboration between the Medical College of Wisconsin and NMDP.
Learn more at CIBMTR.org