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Family caregivers for older persons with dementia offer recommendations to current caregivers: a qualitative investigation

Background and aims: Family members who care for older adults with dementia encounter significant difficulties across many domains. There is limited research in this area; thus, the aim here is to share the actual experiences of 30 family caregivers to other family caregivers and to show how these experiences can provide help and recommendations. Methods: This qualitative study of 30 family caregivers of family members aged 65 and older who died with dementia-related diagnoses used in-depth qualitative interviews conducted over a 12-month period for data collection and content analysis to understand the data. The study asked what they learned and what subsequent recommendations these caregivers had for other family caregivers taking care of an older person with dementia. Results: Four primary themes emerged from the content data analysis and included the following: (1) “do not do it alone”; (2) patience, love, and kindness; (3) “first of all, take care of yourself”; and (4) “get educated.” Conclusions: This study is unique in asking directly of family caregivers of older persons who died of dementia what they learned and what they want to share and recommend to ongoing and future family caregivers. 

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Key Information

Type of Reference
Jour
Type of Work
Journal article
Publisher
Sage
ISBN/ISSN
17449871
Publication Year
2021
Issue Number
8
Journal Titles
Journal of Research in Nursing
Volume Number
26
Start Page
796
End Page
806