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What would help me stop abusing? The family carer's perspective
Amber Selwood1, Claudia Cooper, Colm Owens
1Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, U.K.
International Psychogeriatrics
|March 3, 2009
Summary
Family caregivers of dementia patients want medication for memory issues, better professional communication, and home care to prevent abusive behaviors. Their expressed needs offer a starting point for developing interventions to reduce elder abuse.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychiatry
- Dementia Care
Background:
- Approximately one-third of family dementia caregivers report abusive behaviors.
- No evidence-based interventions currently exist to prevent or reduce caregiver abuse.
- Family caregivers engaging in abusive behaviors have not been previously consulted on potential interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify interventions family caregivers believe would help reduce or prevent abusive behaviors towards people with dementia.
- To gather insights from caregivers on their needs and preferences for support.
Main Methods:
- Prospective recruitment of 220 family dementia caregivers.
- Caregivers reporting abuse selected potential interventions from a provided list.
- Caregivers also suggested additional interventions to prevent abuse.
Main Results:
- Medication for memory (48.2%), written advice on memory problems (42.9%), and professional information (40.2%) were most frequently endorsed.
- Top prioritized interventions included memory medication (18.6%), home care (15.0%), and respite/sitting services (10.6%).
Conclusions:
- Family caregivers prioritize memory medication, professional communication, written advice, home care, and respite services to prevent abuse.
- The expressed wishes of family caregivers provide a foundation for developing and evaluating interventions.
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