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   Experts to study how improved support for dementia carers can enhance quality   
   of life   
      
   Published on September 23, 2014 at 5:52 AM    
      
   Experts will explore how improved support and powers for people caring for   
   loved-ones with dementia can improve quality of life for both patients and   
   carers around the UK.   
      
   Health research specialists from the University of Lincoln, UK, will examine   
   whether carers' involvement in at-home monitoring, such as noting changes in   
   sufferers' behaviour and feelings on a daily basis for feedback to medical   
   professionals, could help    
   them cope with the reality of watching their loved-ones deteriorate.   
      
   Researchers say directly involving so-called 'informal carers' - people   
   looking after a loved-one - in evaluating their loved-one's cognitive and   
   behavioural patterns and disease progresses will help them feel empowered and   
   more in control. This could    
   improve their own mental health and raise their confidence in their abilities   
   so they continue to provide a high standard of care, experts said.   
      
   It is anticipated the results of the study will lead to national improvements   
   in the support offered to carers. The study will examine what educational   
   tools, support groups and advice are available to carers nationwide,   
   identifying best practice and    
   improvement opportunities.   
      
   Dementia - which includes conditions such as Alzheimer's - is a progressive   
   degenerative neurological disease with no known cure and without effective   
   therapeutic medication. University of Lincoln scientists are investigating how   
   it might be treated in    
   the future. There are approximately 800,000 UK patients currently, and it is   
   estimated that by 2050 there will be more than 100 million people suffering   
   from the disease world-wide.   
      
   Dr Jo Middlemass, Research Fellow in the School of Health and Social Care at   
   the University of Lincoln and a lead researcher of the project team, said:   
   "Most carers of people with dementia are family members, especially in the   
   early stages.   
      
   "Research demonstrates that most of these carers suffer from depression, and   
   feelings of entrapment and guilt. These feelings act to undermine their   
   self-belief in the care they are offering, thereby accentuating the depression   
   and further undermining    
   their motivation.   
      
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   "If we can make sure that their needs are being addressed, then we can help to   
   support them at home as long as possible.   
      
   "People involved in the daily care of people with dementia can more readily   
   spot and comprehend subtle behavioural changes, and they are frequently   
   fulfilling a crisis management role, requiring them to quickly adapt the level   
   and nature of support to    
   address unanticipated behavioural changes in those with dementia. The home   
   evaluations could also be used to better inform healthcare professionals about   
   how the disease is progressing, as typically, patients will only visit their   
   GP every six months for    
   assessment.   
      
   "We will analyse research to date, to understand in detail the personal impact   
   of being a carer for a patient with dementia, especially as the disease   
   progresses and the need for more intensive care increases."   
      
   The study will examine what educational tools, support groups and advice are   
   available nationwide, identifying best practice and improvement opportunities,   
   in order to develop a comprehensive "best-practice" educational package for   
   carers. To make the    
   educational and support resources accessible for everyone, they will be   
   available online, in hardcopy and via workshops.   
      
   The goal is to create a standard education package for UK health authorities,   
   such as GPs, hospital trusts and public health departments. It would contain   
   information on the disease, the local care services available, support for   
   carers, and advice on    
   coping with the challenge of caring for a loved-one with Alzheimer's.   
      
   The multi-disciplinary project team draws on expert research personnel from   
   the Lincoln Institute for Health and the Schools of Education, Psychology, and   
   Health and Social Care, and is starting to develop strong informal links with   
   relevant dementia    
   charities and Alzheimer's disease organisations.   
      
   Source:   
   University of Lincoln   
      
      
   http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140923/Experts-to-study-how-i   
   proved-support-for-dementia-carers-can-enhance-quality-of-life.aspx   
      
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