Care for carers: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

With a rapidly ageing population, the number of persons with dementia is rising at an unprecedented rate. Evidence shows that the impact of dementia goes far beyond the affected individuals. Family caregivers, who provide the majority of dementia care, are suffering from deterioration in both physical and psychological health. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, it is now clear that factors like behavioural and psychological symptoms and impaired activities of daily living predict the level of carer stress. better understanding of the determinants of carer burden has stimulated research examining the efficacy of caregiver interventions. Numerous studies support that interventions like psychoeducational strategies and cognitive behavioural therapies efficaciously alleviate stress among family caregivers. In addition, interventions targeting at caregivers also improve the wellbeing of the care-recipients.