How to support family carers with providing personal care for people with dementia

Family carers have a vital role in supporting people with dementia, often taking on significant responsibilities in relation to personal care. The physical, emotional and financial effects on family carers are considerable, and the challenges associated with providing personal care often precipitate admission to a care home or hospital. This article outlines the procedure for undertaking a holistic person-centred assessment of a person with dementia and their family carer, then developing a plan of care for them. It also explains how nurses can use a series of resources that have been designed to support family carers with providing personal care for people with dementia. • Nurses have a crucial role in providing, leading and coordinating care that is compassionate, evidence-based and person-centred. Therefore, they should have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide support for family carers. • Nurses should explore the experiences of family carers as part of a holistic person-centred assessment, to help identify actual and potential challenges. • Many family carers find it challenging to access appropriate services and feel unheard by professionals. Nurses need to ensure that information, services and multidisciplinary team support are accessible and responsive to family carers' needs. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: • How this article might improve your practice when supporting family carers of people with dementia, and how you could adapt your current approach to better meet their needs. • How you could use this information to educate nursing students or your colleagues about the needs of family carers.