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Former Family Carers’ Subjective Experiences of Burden

Andrén, Signe LU and Elmståhl, Sölve LU (2002) In Dementia 1(2). p.241-254
Abstract
The general knowledge of family caregivers’ experience of burden during the continuing care of a close relative with dementia is incomplete. Several types of care settings are available today, and, for carers, modalities of burden probably differ between these settings. The aim of this study was to explore whether burden differed significantly between former family caregivers (FFCs) to people with dementia who were in group living care (GLC), a small home-like unit for six to eight people, compared with people with dementia in nursing homes (NH). Twenty-six FFCs to people with dementia living in GLC and 17 FFCs to people with dementia living in NHs participated in the study. Validated scales were used to assess symptoms of dementia and... (More)
The general knowledge of family caregivers’ experience of burden during the continuing care of a close relative with dementia is incomplete. Several types of care settings are available today, and, for carers, modalities of burden probably differ between these settings. The aim of this study was to explore whether burden differed significantly between former family caregivers (FFCs) to people with dementia who were in group living care (GLC), a small home-like unit for six to eight people, compared with people with dementia in nursing homes (NH). Twenty-six FFCs to people with dementia living in GLC and 17 FFCs to people with dementia living in NHs participated in the study. Validated scales were used to assess symptoms of dementia and provide a picture of caregiver burden, including factors such as strain, emotional involvement and environmental burden. We found that FFCs to people with dementia in NH care had a significantly higher degree of total burden, strain and environmental burden compared with FFCs to people with dementia in GLC. A significant percentage of FFCs also reported receiving insufficient information about dementia and support services. It is suggested that by adjusting physical and psychosocial settings to the cognitive state of the resident, as was done in the GLC approach, may explain the feelings of reduced burden experienced in these group of FFCs. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
care settings, caregiver burden, dementia, group living
in
Dementia
volume
1
issue
2
pages
241 - 254
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:84993726249
ISSN
1741-2684
DOI
10.1177/147130120200100209
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3ccf91f1-f587-47b8-99a0-03599502ae7c (old id 1124055)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:10:20
date last changed
2022-02-11 03:04:44
@article{3ccf91f1-f587-47b8-99a0-03599502ae7c,
  abstract     = {{The general knowledge of family caregivers’ experience of burden during the continuing care of a close relative with dementia is incomplete. Several types of care settings are available today, and, for carers, modalities of burden probably differ between these settings. The aim of this study was to explore whether burden differed significantly between former family caregivers (FFCs) to people with dementia who were in group living care (GLC), a small home-like unit for six to eight people, compared with people with dementia in nursing homes (NH). Twenty-six FFCs to people with dementia living in GLC and 17 FFCs to people with dementia living in NHs participated in the study. Validated scales were used to assess symptoms of dementia and provide a picture of caregiver burden, including factors such as strain, emotional involvement and environmental burden. We found that FFCs to people with dementia in NH care had a significantly higher degree of total burden, strain and environmental burden compared with FFCs to people with dementia in GLC. A significant percentage of FFCs also reported receiving insufficient information about dementia and support services. It is suggested that by adjusting physical and psychosocial settings to the cognitive state of the resident, as was done in the GLC approach, may explain the feelings of reduced burden experienced in these group of FFCs.}},
  author       = {{Andrén, Signe and Elmståhl, Sölve}},
  issn         = {{1741-2684}},
  keywords     = {{care settings; caregiver burden; dementia; group living}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{241--254}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Dementia}},
  title        = {{Former Family Carers’ Subjective Experiences of Burden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/147130120200100209}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/147130120200100209}},
  volume       = {{1}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}