Category: Dementia – Supporting Carers

Many individuals, including dementia caregivers, use blogs to share their experiences. These blogs contain rich narratives representing an untapped resource for understanding the psychosocial impact of caring for a person with dementia at the family level.
Four themes emerged from the narratives: social support through communication and engagement, information gathering and seeking, reminiscing and legacy building, and altruism.
By understanding the ways in which individuals providing care for persons with dementia use social media as part of the caregiving experience, family nurses can develop interventions and services aimed at improving caregiver burden and quality of life.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate peer support and reminiscence therapy, separately and together, in comparison with usual care for people with dementia and their family carers. Factorial pragmatic randomised trial, analysed by treatment allocated, was used for this study. The trial ran in Community settings in England.It concluded that there is no evidence from the trial that either peer support or reminiscence is effective in improving the quality of life.

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As cognitive and functional ability declines, cognitive impairment (CI) patients require more caregiving in order to maintain daily activities. In addition to seeking homecare services, unpaid caregivers such as family and friends are critical in caring for AD patients. This analysis aimed to assess the non-professional caregiving hours required by patients at different stages of CI.
The authors conclude that patients required significantly more non-professional caregiving time if they were diagnosed with AD. Informal caregiving constitutes an important part of the societal burden of AD. As a result, there are considerable benefits by delaying the disease progressing to AD.

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Frequent hospitalization and permanent nursing home placement not only affect the well-being of persons with dementia, but also place great financial strain on society. Therefore, it is important to create effective strategies to support informal caregivers so that they can continue to perform their demanding role. Preliminary qualitative evidence suggests that community-based respite services can actually be important for caregivers, and that the level of evidence should be further established in terms of effectiveness.

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The relationship between people with dementia and their carers is complex and has a significant impact on the dementia experience. The aim of this current study was to determine (1) which factors are associated with the quality of the patient–carer relationship and (2) whether these differ between the two perspectives.
This study is novel in that it provides a valuable insight into the impact of mental health on relationship quality for both members of the dyad. The findings emphasise the importance of providing interventions which target mood for both parties, and behavioural problems for people with dementia.

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This small-scale study investigates the experience of 53 Christian churchgoers in the UK who are or have recently been the primary carers of a relative or friend suffering from dementia. Responses to a short questionnaire reveal how almost all these carers claim to have been supported by their faith, and how far it has been challenged and maybe deepened. Respondents also comment on the role of their local churches. Issues are identified where further research might be beneficial, and where lessons can be learned by the churches.

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Family carers of people with dementia have higher than average rates of suicidal ideation, but there has been no research on homicidal ideation in this population. The aim of this study was to explore thoughts of homicide in family carers of people with dementia. The conclusion was that homicidal ideation is a real and significant phenomenon among family carers of people with dementia. Service providers and health professionals are encouraged to identify and support carers contemplating homicide, but to do so in a way that recognises the broader social context of carer.

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Family caregivers’ experiences of formal care when caring for persons with dementia through the process of the disease is sparsely investigated. The interviewed caregivers experience formal care reactive to their needs and this often promoted unhealthy transitions. Formal care needs to be proactive and deliver available care and support early on in the dementia trajectory. Interventions should focus on facilitating a healthy transition for family caregivers through the trajectory of the dementia disease to ensure their well-being.

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Most persons with dementia are cared for by family members who are so overwhelmed that their mental and physical health declines. Adult day care programs (ADC) are growing in number to meet caregivers’ needs for respite but little is known about their effect on enrollee mental health. Results provide support for ADC as a stress-reducing environment for individuals with mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Future studies should be conducted to examine which elements of ADC are beneficial.

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Day care services for patients with dementia (PWD) are generally under-utilized worldwide despite evidence of positive outcomes, such as improved behavioral, psychological, and cognitive functioning for patients, and reduced caregiver burden.
Caregivers generally understand the value of day care but several factors tip the balance in favor of non-use. These include culturally bound caregiving values and perceptions, and inadequacies in service delivery. Negative perceptions about services highlight the need to enhance the image and standards of day care and increase awareness of the benefits of day care for PWD beyond its custodial role.

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