Caregiver support

The sixth update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Transitions and Community Participation following Stroke is a comprehensive set of evidence-based guidelines addressing issues faced by people following an acute stroke event. Establishing a coordinated and seamless system of care that supports progress achieved during the initial recovery stages throughout the transition to the community is more essential than ever as the medical complexity of people with stroke is also on the rise.

The purpose of this series is to highlight a range of rare health conditions. Rare health conditions are those that affect no more and usually less than 1 person in every 2000 and many HCAs and nurses will encounter some of these conditions, given the high number of them. This 27th article will explore one of these conditions—Mayer-Rokitansky-KüsterHauser syndrome—and the role and support needs of the ‘informal’ family caregiver.

Background and Objectives: Numerous non-pharmacological programs for family caregivers and persons with dementia (PWDs) have been found efficacious in randomized controlled trials. Few programs have been tested in translation studies that assess feasibility and outcomes in less-controlled, real-world implementations. This translation study tested the impact of the partnership version of BRI Care Consultation, "Partners in Dementia Care (PDC)," on outcomes for PWDs and their family/friend caregivers.

OBJECTIVES: The European RHAPSODY project sought to develop and test an online information and support programme for caregivers of individuals diagnosed with young onset dementia. The objectives were to assess user acceptability and satisfaction with the programme and to test outcome measures for a larger effectiveness study. DESIGN: A pilot randomised controlled trial in England, France, and Germany was conducted with 61 caregivers for adults with young onset Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal degeneration.

Hospice patients die in various settings, including at home with family caregivers. Hospice offers a time-of-death visit to provide support and confirm death, a requirement in some states but not all. Few studies have been conducted among home hospice families exploring their experiences without a time-of-death visit. To better understand the family's experience regarding the time of death of their loved one, we conducted an exploratory study using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach.

Aims: To explore and understand carer participation in support groups when caring for a person with dementia who lives at home Design: Focused ethnographic design.; Methods: Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted from January - December 2015. The data were collected from four support groups in the Danish primary health care system. Interviews were conducted with 25 carers.

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) may exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia that can increase the strain experienced by their family caregivers. This strain correlates with increased stress and reduced quality of life for the family caregiver and individual with ADRD. More information is needed regarding the ways in which caregivers manage the caregiving experience in their efforts to reduce strain and maintain or improve quality of life.

According to Alzheimers New Zealand, the number of New Zealanders with dementia is expected to exceed 170,000 by 2050.1 Dementia refers to a collection of progressive neurodegenerative illnesses, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and Lewy body type.

Traumatic injury frequently leads to an abrupt change in physical and psychological functioning; informal caregivers play a significant role in the recovery process in the hospital and at home. The purpose of this study was to describe the range of stressors and burdens experienced by orthopedic trauma family caregivers in the acute care setting, as well as responses and strategies employed. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted in the hospital with 12 family caregivers of severely injured orthopedic trauma patients.

Informal caregivers provide the majority of care for older adults residing in their own homes. Caregivinghood, a new evidence-based concept, describes a time of life when relatives provide care at home. These caregivers need knowledge regarding resources to help them resolve the challenges they encounter. The theoretical framework underpinning this study is Antonovsky’s salutogenic theory of health.