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Pages:
24 pages/≈6600 words
Sources:
Level:
APA
Subject:
Health, Medicine, Nursing
Type:
Dissertation - Results
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 39.95
Topic:

Caring for People with Dementia (Dissertation - Results Sample)

Instructions:

Effective ways to implement Supportive Interventions for the Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

source..
Content:

Effective ways to implement Supportive Interventions for the Caregivers of Persons with Dementia
Name
University
The major aim of this chapter is to discuss the results of the assessment to ensure the degree to which the main themes recognized in the thematic analysis sufficiently address the research questions being answered. In the final part, the confines during the evaluation are underlined through a subjective reflection.
Summary of findings
Characteristics of caregiver participants in the research

Total

Focus groups

interview

dyads

Caregivers

36

22

10

4

gender

Male (10) ;
Female (26)

Male (6) ;
Female
(16)

Male (3) ; Female
(7)

Male (1) ;
Female (3)

Age

Average = 71
years
Range = 43 to 87
years




Relationship

Spousal (25);
Non-spousal (11)

Spousal (17);
Non-spousal (5)

Spousal (6); Non-spousal (4)

Spousal (2); Non-spousal (2)

Co residency

Yes = 27; No = 9

Yes= 16 ; No= 6

Yes = 9; No = 1

Yes = 2; No= 2

education

Primary (5);
Secondary (16);
Technical (5);
University (8)

Primary (4);
Secondary (10);
Technical (1);
University (5)

Primary (1) ;
Secondary (5);
Technical (2);
University (2)

Secondary (1);
Technical (2);
University (1)

Informal support

Yes (21); No (15 )

Yes (13 ); No (9)

Yes (5); No ( 5)

Yes ( 3); No (1 )

Use formal support services

Yes (29 ); No (7 )

Yes (16); No (6)

Yes (10); No (0)

Yes (3); No ( 1)

The findings of the research indicate that most of the care givers of people with dementia are mostly family members. The burden of care is imposed on these people. In the research the largest percentage of the care givers are spouses and children. The research findings show that a majority of care givers are female. The age of these care givers was varied from 38 to 80 years depending on the relationship. The recipients of the care were aged between 66 and 98 years. The number of females was high in both the caregivers and the receivers. Female care givers are considered better equipped to take care of the people diagnosed with the condition.
The research findings state that the care givers had obtained a basic level of education. The care givers research shows that that these people who gave care had some experience in formal education. The care givers also had given up their sources of income. Some were recipients of social assistance schemes. The caregivers did not have time to earn a living and therefore dependent on others for financial help. The largest number of care givers resided with their care recipients. The other percentage had taken their patients to day care centers. The care givers who did not reside with their recipients paid frequent visits. During the research several themes arose.
Themes
Confusion regarding the diagnosis
The most common theme that arose was the confusion regarding the diagnosis. Though most of the care givers did agree that their family members were suffering from a health condition, there were very varied views about the nature of the condition they were suffering. The views of the care givers varied from conditions such as schizophrenia or a disease of forgetfulness. The comments that were given showed that the care givers were not given adequate information on the conditions their family members were suffering. Care givers who had no prior knowledge or encounters relating to mental illness were very confused. This misunderstanding was related to the fact that there was a lack of acceptance for patients living with mental problems. The comments may also be attached to the stigma attached to mental problems. However there were others who welcomed the diagnosis. When the doctors confirmed the diagnosis, they were happy as they sopped relying on their own diagnosis (Chan, et al 2010).
The second theme was the emotional burden that was experienced by the family members. This theme was dominant on all the care givers as they struggled to come to terms with the conditions suffered by their relatives. Many of the care givers gave a very wide assortment of negative emotions. These include anxiety, sadness, anger, fear, blame, embarrassment and grief. Some of the care givers also cited the stressful and exhausting nature of care giving. Some also blamed themselves for the fact that they had to look for a nursing home for their loved ones. However there were several of them who gave positive responses. These care givers cited adding meaning to the lives of the patience, companionship and the positive feeling of having an opportunity to give care to a loved one(Chan, et al 2010).The care givers who gave a positive response felt that it was unfair to send their loved ones to a nursing home. They felt that it was better if they spent their lives caring for their loved ones. Regardless of the feelings that they got from giving care, there was alwaysan emotional impact on the care givers. The givers were expected to be on hand to provide help around the clock (Vaingankar, et al 2013).
Conflicts among social roles
Care giving also brought along conflicts among social roles. Care giving meant that there would be a strain on the careers of the care givers. This also clashed with all the other social roles that the care givers were expected to perform. The care givers gave a questioned indicated that they had problem with either their social life and the relationships with other people. The care givers also had problems in their jobs. Care givers cited major conflicts between their social roles that they were expected to fulfill. Care givers mostly said that most of their families were shattered. The care givers lacked support from other family members. The fact that some of the care givers were children of the patients made it even harder for them (Vaingankar, et al 2013).The care givers faced challenges when trying to balance the needs of their own families and those of the patients that they gave care to. The care givers were expected to serve their roles as wives or husbands and at the same time provide care for a patient of dementia.
To understand the supportive measures that would be put in place one has to first study the problems that the care givers faced during the process of their duty. The care givers would first have to give all the problems that they faced. The problems would then be addressed in the manner that is described in the research question. The findings would then be studied and discussed. The discussion meant that they would come up with supportive measure that would put in place to help the care givers. The final part would be to employ an effective strategy to implement these supportive measures to help the care givers the care givers themselves gave the problems that they faced and also described the areas that they needed the support(Chan, et al 2010).
Care takers suffering from stress
In the findings of the research care most informal care givers experienced a number of both mental and physical stressors. These stressors were experienced in the daily involvement with the patients. The management of people with dementia had several effects on the care givers too. Apart from the care givers having physical strains they also lacked the ability to provide the best care for those they were taking care of. The fact that most care givers were informal meant that they were unable to provide optimum care for their loved ones. The care givers experienced the more guilt because of the fact that they could not provide the best care for their patients. The fear that the care giver may not be able to provide sufficient help is terrifying (Vaingankar, et al 2013).
Managing the emotions and behavior of the relatives was a very challenging task. The care givers state that their spouses and siblings often lacked the understanding to support them. The care givers were worried by the fact that the safety of their relatives who suffered from dementia was always at risk. The care givers faced another challenge when other relatives failed to help .they feared that the care they were providing did not in any way ease the life of the . They lived in fear due to the fact that the fact that their own future was very unstable. The financial demands that the care giving was associated with meant that they were always worried. The care givers had very little hope for their future. Their lives involved a tiring process of them giving care and thus did not have any plans for their future.
The relatives with dementia often had unmanageable behavior that in most cases caused trouble with the neighbors. This behavior is also responsible for the many cases of embarrassment of the relatives in the community. Care givers expressed the fact that they were trapped indoors so that they could be able to avoid any embarrassment. They also feared going outdoors due to the stigma and safety issues.
Lack of community support
Care givers noted that the community in general did not understand them. In general most members of the community did not understand Dementia in any context. This led to them having unpleasant situations and reactions which were impossible to deal with. This made the task of making the lives of the relative with dementia living an easier life even harder. They encountered some socially unpleasant occasions. The dementia patients were sometimes loud, interruptive and abusive even at night. They were also very uncooperative with the care givers making the task of caring for them harder. These behaviors meant that the informal care givers were unable to socialize, enlist their relative to a daycare facility...
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