Supporting dementia family caring is an essential component of the roadmap to continual improvement in dementia care and to supporting the ambitions of Scotland’s 4th National Dementia Strategy.
There are estimated to be 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland, approximately 2/3rd of whom live at home within our community settings. However, as social care services have become more and more difficult to access, our care partners/unpaid carers are undoubtedly playing an increasingly vital role in the care of people living with dementia. The care they provide has enormous value, both for the people they care for and for wider society, with the need for their support expected to grow alongside the projected growing prevalence of dementia, increasing service pressures, and an increasing move towards community-focused care.
Our care partners/unpaid carers do nevertheless often tell us that they feel overwhelmed, isolated and un-supported in their caring role, and that they routinely rely on trial and error approaches to manage complex symptoms and situations. It is perhaps therefore not surprising that many people with dementia and their care partners/unpaid carers find themselves in a revolving cycle of unmet need.
Many people with dementia live at home with little, or no input from health and social care services. When difficulties arise they and/or their care partner/unpaid carer often find it extremely difficult, or are simply too exhausted to attempt to navigate the complexities of our health care system. When a crisis occurs they don’t know where to turn and this all too often results in the person with dementia being admitted to hospital, which we know in itself often results in increased confusion and distress. If/when the person with dementia returns home, they often require increased support due to hospital acquired complications such as delirium, reduced function and mobility, further adding to caring pressures. And the cycle begins again!
Access to programmes of family carer education which support care partners/unpaid carers to improve their knowledge and caregiving skills are fundamental to improving the quality of life of people living with dementia and their care partners/un-paid carers. They can also help to reduce the risk of unplanned hospital admission and the doubling of the financial burden of dementia care. In recognition of this, members of NHS Scotland’s Dementia Consultant Group and the Alzheimer Centre for Policy and Practice at the University of the West of Scotland, with support from Alzheimer Scotland, continue to work together to support the growth of the Carers’ Academy Programme. This bespoke programme provides access to state-of-the-art practical skills-based learning and information to support and sustain a family caring for a relative living with dementia.
There is a focus on:
- Enhancing knowledge and understanding of the impact of dementia.
- Developing practical skills in the fundamentals of care and caring.
- Facilitating opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
- Introductions to Alzheimer Scotland services and support and making
community connections.
We are absolutely delighted by the early successes of our 3rd Carers’ Academy hub which opened in NHS Dumfries in Galloway in March 2024 and by the interest which continues to be shown in further growing this valuable network of carer education and support. If you would like to know more about our Carers’ Academy programme, please contact:
Susan Holland
Nurse Consultant-Dementia
Email: Susan.Holland@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
X tag: @Susan_hol
