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Et, Al

The needs of older people with mental health problems according to the user, the carer, and the staff

Background: Individual assessment of needs has been recognised as the most appropriate way to allocate health and social care resources. These assessments, however, are often made by the staff or by a carer who acts as an advocate for the user themselves. Little is known about how these proxy measures compare to how individual patients perceive their own needs.

Aim: The aim of this study was to measure and compare ratings of need for older people with mental health problems by the older person themselves, their carer, and an appropriate staff member.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17

Making it work: service users and professionals as research partners

Capital is a user‐led training, consultancy and research organisation based in West Sussex. When the local mental health trust decided to evaluate its assertive outreach team, Capital bid to conduct a qualitative review through one‐to‐one interviews with the team's clients and their carers. In this candid article the project team members describe the process, the hurdles and obstacles they encountered, how they were negotiated or overcome, and what they learned from the experience.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17

Current and future concerns of older parents of sons and daughters with intellectual disabilities

Increasingly greater numbers of older parents are providing care at home for their sons and daughters with intellectual disabilities. As attention needs to be paid to the supports needed by such families to assist them with their caregiving activities, it is prudent to identify the types of supports that will be needed when the parents are no longer able to provide care. Working with a cohort of older parent carers in Prince Edward Island, Canada, the authors undertook to examine older carer concerns and planning issues.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17

Facilities for carers of in-patients in forensic psychiatric services in England and Wales

A postal survey of forensic psychiatric facilities in England and Wales was undertaken to obtain information about the services provided for carers of in-patients within these services.

Forensic psychiatric services vary in the support and facilities provided for carers. Many do not comply with current legislation for carers. Most units informed carers of their rights to have an assessment, but only a minority provided facilities for carers from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17

Self and carer perspectives of quality of life in dementia using the QoL-AD

OBJECTIVE: Quality of life (QoL) is one of the most important outcomes in improving well-being in people with dementia (PwD). The primary aim of the present study was to compare self and carer ratings of QoL in PwD and to identify the most important factors influencing self and carer ratings.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analytic study of 488 dyads using the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease scale, demographics, data on self-rated health, and clinical characteristics.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:17

Information pathways into dementia care services: family carers have their say

This research described family carers' experiences in accessing dementia information and services in Southern Tasmania, Australia. Focus groups were conducted around three topics: (i) information available to family carers prior to a formal diagnosis of dementia, (ii) sources of information following diagnosis, and (iii) means of transfer of information.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:16

Charting carer satisfaction: the hospital experience

Reports on an evaluation of the efforts of the Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bath to improve the support offered to people with dementia and their family carers. The intervention included the recruitment of three part-time dementia coordinators, a seven-day older adult mental health liaison service with nurses and a psychiatrist, additional staff training and an increased emphasis on arts and music in the wards.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:16

Employers' knowledge and attitudes regarding organizational policy toward workers caring for aging family members

The study examined employers' knowledge of and attitudes toward working carers who care for aging family members. The study was based on the ecological model. One hundred employers were interviewed using structured questionnaires and 13 employers by additional in-depth interviews. Both research instruments included areas of disruption to the organization, existing policies, and feasibility as to developing appropriate policies to support working carers.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:16

A cognitive behavioural approach for carers of significant others with depression: a pilot study

Depression is a common and chronic illness affecting nearly one in five people in their lifetime. The main responsibility for people suffering from depression falls to their carers. Research indicates that carers find the burden of caring for a family member enormous and often feel isolated with this burden (Highet et al, 2004). This paper presents an evaluation of a six‐week course held in Leeds, based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy and specifically aimed for carers.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:16

What constitutes health-related quality of life in dementia? Development of a conceptual framework for people with dementia and their carers

Background: The evaluation of multi-dimensional outcomes such as health-related quality of life (HRQL) is particularly relevant in dementia where the disease can compromise all areas of functioning. The nature of dementia can make self-report difficult, yet the subjective nature of HRQL makes the value of proxy reports limited. Previous work suggests that there are domains of HRQL that are unique to dementia.

Thu, 07/20/2017 - 15:16

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