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P3‐301: Understanding the sustainability of informal care of people with dementia: A family carers' perspective
Author(s) -
Singh Prabhjot
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2012.05.1525
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , dementia , grounded theory , sustainability , qualitative research , perspective (graphical) , nursing , psychology , meaning (existential) , public relations , sociology , medicine , political science , psychotherapist , social science , ecology , disease , pathology , biology , artificial intelligence , computer science
Background: The number of people with dementia is projected to increase over the coming decades, which in turn would accentuate issues of informal care provision, in particular care provided by the family carers of people with dementia. Considering these projections, this study aimed to explore the broader question of how family carers of people with dementia living in the community successfully manage and sustain informal caring at present, and how they will provide care in the future.Methods: The study was conducted in Queensland, Australia, using a qualitative methodological framework with thematic analytic technique as the research method. In addition to thematic analysis, the constant comparison method with its roots embedded in Grounded Theory was partially applied to understand and give meaning to the themes and codes in a given caring situation. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews based on an interview guide, which contained questions developed using key issues that emerged from a preliminary literature search relating to the sustainability of informal care, specifically family care of people with dementia. Results: Thematic analysis highlighted that the caring effort (effort by carers using personal strategies and/or informal supports) and caring capacity (factors influencing caring capacity, in particular formal support services for carers) were the two key phenomenon that assisted carers to proactively manage and sustain their caring responsibilities. Results and findings of the study indicated a balance between caring effort and caring capacity as critical for the future sustainability of informal care. Conclusions: This study highlighted that carers consider maintaining a “balance in caring effort and caring capacity” with support from formal care services as the key to the future sustainability of informal care of people with dementia. Further, the study also highlighted that the sustainability of informal care is dependent on both the individual carer’s ability to sustain care and on a sustainable formal care system incorporating effective and responsive services.