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The burden of informal care for Alzheimer's Disease: carer perceptions from an empirical study in England, Italy and Sweden

Dementia of the Alzheimer type and related disorders greatly impact not only on the lives of sufferers but also on their unpaid informal carers, who usually are spouses or children. Carers are more likely to suffer from stress, take prescribed medication and visit their physicians compared with non-carers (Burns and Rabins, 2000). Social isolation that can occur in caregiving may mean that carers may only come to the attention of formal support services when a crisis occurs and informal care arrangements break down (Wenger, 1994).

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:19

Who cares? – caring for the carers of stroke patients

The author reflects on the employment of informal carers to assist stroke patients in England and Wales in recovering from severe disability. He cites that the National Service Framework for Older People emphasizes the importance of care for stroke patients to be able to live at home. The employment of informal carers was questioned during the National Sentinel Audit for Stroke due to some factors that affect the quality of services and the life of the care taker.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:19

Complementary therapy services for mental health service users: results of a consultation project

Objective The aim of this paper is to report on the findings of a consultation project exploring demand for mental health related complementary therapy services in the local area.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:18

What does the 2011 Census tell us about the "oldest old" living in England & Wales?

In August 2013 the Office for National Statistics published a short story focusing on usual residents of England & Wales aged 65 or over: What does the 2011 Census tell us about older people? . This report continues this theme by looking at characteristics of the “oldest old” living in England & Wales, that is those who were aged 85 years or older on Census Day 2011 (who were born before April 1926). Most data published about older people come from household surveys, which exclude people living in institutions .

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:18

Outcomes of social care for adults: developing a preference-weighted measure

The aim of this study was to develop a measure of social care outcome, an equivalent to the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in health, which could be used in a range of circumstances.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:18

The relationship between informal caregiving and mortality: an analysis using the ONS Longitudinal Study of England and Wales

BACKGROUND: Many studies have suggested that caregiving has a detrimental impact on health. However, these conclusions are challenged by research which finds evidence of a comparative survivorship advantage, as well as work which controls for group differences in the demand for care.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:18

Informal carers' health-related quality of life and patient experience in primary care: evidence from 195,364 carers in England responding to a national survey

Background: We aim to describe the health-related quality of life of informal carers and their experiences of primary care.

Methods: Responses from the 2011-12 English General Practice Patient Survey, including 195,364 informal carers, were analysed using mixed effect logistic regressions controlling for age, gender, ethnicity and social deprivation to describe carer health-related quality of life (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and anxiety/depression, measured using EQ-5D) and primary care experience (access, continuity and communication).

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:18

A comparison of the palliative care needs of patients dying from chronic respiratory diseases and lung cancer

This paper reports on data from the Regional Study of Care for the Dying, conducted in 1990, and compares symptoms, care and service utilization for patients with chronic lung diseases (CLD) and lung cancer (LC) in the final 12 months of life. Post-bereavement structured interviews were conducted with informal carers of 449 LC patients and 87 CLD patients. The LC patients were significantly younger than those with CLD (P = 0.001) and these respondents were more likely to have been a spouse (P = 0.034).

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:18

Caring for a relative with delusional beliefs: a qualitative exploration

Background: In recent years, there has been a gradual shift towards the study of individual symptom presentations in psychosis, this is particularly found in studies of delusional beliefs. However, the literature remains sparse on informal caregiver experiences of individual symptoms.

Aim: The study sought to investigate carer experiences of supporting a relative with delusional beliefs, which involve family members.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five caregivers and subject to interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17

"Carers behind bars": the hidden world of caring in English prisons

Taking as its starting point the establishment of the Standing Commission on Carers in 2007 and the launch of the National Strategy for Carers in 2008, this article explores who carers are and how demographic changes are likely to impact on carer numbers. It deduces that the need for care is likely to rise significantly in the near future and as such carer numbers will grow. It argues that future policy must take this, and the importance of carers themselves being supported, into account.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17