Thes

In the UK, the number of people with dementia is increasing along with life expectancy - over half of the £23bn annual cost of dementia is due to informal care time. Therefore, there is an economic argument for identifying clinically-effective and cost-effective ways to maintain and improve carer quality of life (QoL). This thesis explores the suitability of a capability based instrument, the ICECAP-O, for measuring QoL in informal carers of people with dementia. Methods: Systematic reviews, qualitative interviews, survey data and clinical trial data were used.

The AIDS epidemic is a driving force in the external policy environment, stimulating large-scale changes in health care organizations. Visiting Nurse Associations (VNAs), gendered organizations with a hundred year tradition of caring work in communities, responded to governmental initiatives with structural and functional changes. A case study of the development of the AIDS Care Program of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) offers a unique opportunity to explore the exercise of strategy as health policy is translated into organizational practice.

Background and objectives Research into carers of people with young onset dementia (YOD) has highlighted that carers may experience more distress than late onset dementia (LOD) carers (e.g. Freyne, Kidd, Coen & Lawlor, 1999), and have specific needs which differ from those of LOO carers (e.g. Svanberg, Spectar & Slott, 2011). Difficulties with employment has been raised as a particular issue for this population (e.g. van Vliet, de Vugt, Bakker, Koopmans & Verhey, 2010), yet no qualitative study has examined the factors influencing carers' experience of employment.

This article summarises PhD research undertaken by the author and provides readers with the carer assessment tools validated in the study. [Journal abstract]