Carers

Carers, friends and family play and invaluable role in supporting a person with dementia to retain their sense of identity and well-being.

In a recent evaluation of the dementia support worker role carried out by the South West Dementia Partnership (2011), the following factors were identified as important to people with dementia and their carers:

  • support focussed on the person with dementia, working  in partnership with any carer or family members
  • learning adaptive coping skills
  • having a carer who supports, understands and is well-informed
  • the provision of advocacy, mentoring and peer support
  • appropriate and safe accommodation
  • respite opportunities, carer support groups (i.e. considering the needs of the carer and wider family)
  • services that offer an acceptable means of diagnosis including the provision of information at the right time, over time
  • signposting to, or navigating through mainstream services such as counselling, services addressing specific issues and not just part of mental health services, support for other health related issues
  • support with welfare benefits, including advice on  eligibility as well as helping with applications.
  • information about  different stages of the disease at a time that is tailored to suit the person with dementia or their family/carer
  • awareness raising across health and social care and wider society
  • a single, personalised, point of contact to access information, services and support, with continuity of care to allow the building of a sustainable professional relationship.

Commissioners seeking ways to enhance support to carers should take into account: