Informal caregivers

Although providing care to a family member or friend may provide psychological benefits, informal (i.e., unpaid) caregivers also encounter difficulties which may negatively affect their quality of life as well as their mental and physical health. Loneliness is one important challenge that caregivers face, with this psychological state being associated with morbidity and premature mortality. Although previous research has identified loneliness as an issue associated with being an informal caregiver, there is a paucity of evidence that attempts to understand this phenomenon in depth.

Background: Unlike other chronic diseases, dementia caregiving is associated with enormous psychological burden, which stresses the need for caregivers-directed psychosocial interventions. Aim: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to evaluate the short-term efficacy of a multi-component psychosocial intervention program for informal caregivers of persons with neurocognitive disorders in Alexandria, Egypt. Methods: Informal caregivers (120) were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups.

In 2006 the Spanish Dependency Law established new rights for people in situation of dependency. The impact of the Law could have also affected the quality of life of their carers. This study aims to understand how the Law may have influenced caregivers’ quality of life through their own perceptions and those of Primary Health Care professionals, and to compare both perspectives. The study used Concept Mapping, a mixed methods technique. In total, 16 caregivers and 21 professionals participated. Both groups identified a mix of positive and negative effects.

Background During the transition of people with dementia from home to nursing home family caregivers often feel burdened. ObjectivesWe aimed to 1) identify interventions which support people with dementia and their caregivers in the transition from home care to nursing home care, 2) synthesize the evidence for efficacy of these interventions, and 3) examine whether the identified interventions have been systematically developed, evaluated and implemented according to the Medical Research Council guidance on complex interventions.

Introduction: Family and friends often help chronically ill adults manage their conditions. Information about specific ways supporters help with disease management, and their experiences with and concerns about helping are lacking. This study describes key roles and concerns of family members who support the health management of adults with chronic illness, and compares experiences of health supporters living in and outside of support recipients’ homes.

This secondary analysis of qualitative interviews describes how older Swedish men approach the caregiver role for a wife with dementia, over time. An increasing number of male caregivers will become primary caregivers for partners living with dementia at home, and they will likely be caregivers for an extended period of time. It has been stated that caregiving experiences influence how older men think of themselves.

This paper focuses on the evaluation of dementia case management in the Netherlands, as well as factors associated with positive evaluations of informal caregivers. A survey was completed by 554 informal carers. The majority of the informal carers were older (69% was 55+), and female (73%), and often concerned the partner or adult children of the person with dementia.

Background: Dementia has a high burden for patients, informal caregivers and society. Given changes in care systems, more persons with dementia will live longer at home. However, living at home (with dementia) with a good quality of life is not easy to achieve. Dementia is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms like apathy, agitation, depression, and anxiety, which have a negative impact on quality of life. Whereas cognitive deterioration can hardly be influenced, it is possible to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms.

In the palliative phase of a person's illness, the needs of the patient and informal caregivers are paramount. Caregivers often look to palliative care practitioners for support, guidance and emotional comfort. This article reviews the role of the informal caregiver at the end of life, summarising their concerns and needs. The paper also highlights caregiver difficulties in making the coping transition when the patient's medical condition becomes advanced and they require end-of-life care. The focus of the review is placed on discussions about Advanced Care Planning (ACP).

Background: Modern therapeutics and health care improvements prolong stroke patients’ survival however, the degree of disability remains high. Stroke survivors often require caregivers, particularly in the first year after the onset of the stroke. Longitudinal assessment of and factors associated with caregiver burden (CGB) among caregivers of stroke patients has been scarcely discussed. This study aimed to define the changes in CGB in the first year of caregiving among the caregivers of stroke patients and to identify associated factors.