Journal article

Population ageing within Europe has major social and economic consequences. One of the most devastating conditions that predominantly affects older people is dementia. The SMART4MD (Support Monitoring and Reminder Technology for Mild Dementia) project aims to develop and test a health application specifically designed for people with mild dementia.

Background: Technical applications can promote home-based exercise and physical activity of community-dwelling stroke survivors. Caregivers are often able and willing to assist with home-based exercise and physical activity but lack the knowledge and resources to do so. ActivABLES was established to promote home-based exercise and physical activity among community-dwelling stroke survivors, with support from their caregivers. The aim of our study is to investigate the feasibility of ActivABLES in terms of acceptability, demand, implementation and practicality.

Background: Managing the complex and long-term care needs of persons living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) can adversely impact the health of informal caregivers and their care recipients.

Aims: (1) Determine the content validity of the Fear of Older Adult Falling Questionnaire‐Caregivers using a panel of gerontological experts and a target sample of family caregivers (Stage 1) and (2) Examine the response patterns of the Fear of Older Adult Falling Questionnaire‐Caregivers and compare it with older adult version of Fear of Falling Questionnaire Revised using graded‐response modelling (Stage 2). Design: Cross‐sectional mixed‐method design.

The current study examined factors related to fatigue in family caregivers of individuals with dementia using a cross-sectional design to collect subjective and objective data. Findings indicated that caregivers' sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, and depression, as well as care-recipients' functionality, were associated with family caregivers' fatigue. Regression analysis indicated that only sleep quality significantly predicted caregivers' fatigue. Study findings suggest fatigue is common among family caregivers of individuals with dementia and may be related to sleep quality.

Background: The Alzheimer Café is a psychosocial intervention shown to have benefits for family carers of people with dementia. Family carers experience a period of change across all aspects of their lives following the dementia diagnosis, and require new skills and tools to navigate these new landscapes. The objective of this research was to investigate family carers' perspectives of the Alzheimer Café in Ireland, and explore how attendance may translate into broader benefits in their lives.

Background: While dementia policy strategies emphasize the importance of partnerships between families and formal carers to provide tailored care and effectively allocate community resources, family carers often feel left out or excluded. Poor communication has been identified as one reason for the lack of good partnerships. Few studies have investigated how family carers seek to involve themselves when they experience sub-optimal services, and how their strategies may depend on different considerations and personal abilities.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Hospice care confers well‐documented benefits to patients and their families, but it is underutilized. One potential reason is inadequate family support to make end‐of‐life decisions and care for older adults on hospice at home. We assessed the association between amount of family support and hospice use among a population of decedents and among specific illness types. DESIGN Prospective cohort study using the National Health and Aging Trends Study waves 2011 to 2017, linked to Medicare claims data. SETTING Contiguous United States.

The current Western health policy of ageing in place relies on a triad collaboration among patients, healthcare service providers and family caregivers. Such collaborations presuppose involvement in a vague juridical landscape. This article explores family caregivers' experiences with involvement in and influence on nursing home decision-making processes for persons with dementia. The data consist of 12 in-depth interviews with family caregivers.

 Objectives: •Compare the experiences of burden for family caregivers in general to that of caregivers for patients with advanced cancer. • Evaluate patient-related factors that contribute to burden among caregivers for advanced cancer patients. • Assess how the relationship between patient-related factors and caregiver burden is affected by time spent caregiving.  Importance: Family caregivers for patients with advanced cancer spend significant time caregiving and experience burden that has been associated with poor outcomes.