CAREN logo

You are here

  1. Home
  2. Breaking the ice: Developing strategies for collaborative working with carers of older people with mental health problems

Breaking the ice: Developing strategies for collaborative working with carers of older people with mental health problems

This chapter reviews a community based action research project undertaken within the Older People's Directorate of Shropshire's Mental Health NHS Trust. The project investigated how statutory bodies might best facilitate the involvement of carers. The work focused on carers of mentally infirm older people and the carers of dementia sufferers. The research sought to explore, and find solutions to, known barriers to participation such as poor communication routes, paternalistic organisation cultures and a non-homogenous user group. It was conducted in three phases. Phase one evaluated existing provision; phase two comprised a series of psycho-educational sessions with carers. The final phase examined strategies for reducing delays between diagnosis and referral. Three main lessons emerged from the project: (1) the frequently divergent needs of carers and care agencies (2) the alienating effect of professional jargon (3) the importance of setting realistic expectations.

Additional Titles
User involvement and participation in social care : research informing practice

Key Information

Type of Reference
Chap
Publisher
Jessica kingsley
Resource Database
Hmic
Publication Year
2000
Language
English