Who cares for the carers? A student's experience of providing carer support and education

As the incidence of dementia increases with age and people are generally living longer, the number of people requiring care will continue to rise. There are approximately 820000 people in the UK with dementia and more than 500000 carers who are not part of the health and social care workforce. These unpaid carers provide support to people with dementia, often sacrificing their own work commitments, social and family life. As part of the 'Partnerships in recovery' module studied in the third year of the pre-registration mental health nursing programme at the University of the West of Scotland, the first author (DR) chose to use a pycho-education intervention to benefit the needs of a carer and client with vascular dementia. Providing support and education increases the likelihood of both carer and client engaging in a life that is meaningful and hopeful.