Carers' Academy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the impact of the Carers' Academy on the family carer and person living with dementia
IRAS ID
353344
Contact name
rhoda macrae
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the West of Scotland
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 26 days
Research summary
Family carers of people living with dementia that have participated in the Carers’ Academy have told us that they face challenges as someone in a caring role for a person with dementia. This is worsened by lack of knowledge about the cognitive, sensory, physical and emotional changes that are commonly associated with dementia. They report finding communicating with and supporting the person more difficult as the dementia progresses. This situation leads to high levels of stress and distress that can negatively impact on the quality of life of the family carer and the person with dementia. They have also told that they have little knowledge or organisations and resources that can support them or how to access these. This further isolates the family carer and the person they are supporting, and prevents them from accessing resources that would enable family caring and the well-being of the person and family carer to be sustained.
There is little previous research into the impact of educational interventions for family carers in relation to the above issues. We need to understand more about whether this educational intervention which aims to increase in understanding about dementia, communication strategies, and provide knowledge of and access to wider supports sustains family caring, benefits the family carer and the person living with dementia.
Aim
To understand whether and in what way the Carers’ Academy sustains family caring, benefits the family carer and the person living with dementia.
Design
Our NHS colleagues in the three hubs; Ayr, Lanarkshire and Dumfries will contact all the family carers who participated in the Carers’ Academy during 2024 by letter. This letter will include a Participant Information sheet that explains what will be involved and invite them to contact either the NHS lead facilitator or the researcher directly if they are interested in participating.
We will undertake interviews (n=25-30) with family carers to explore whether and in what way attending the Carers’ Academy has supported them to sustain family caring, benefitted them and or the person with dementia they support.
We will analyse the interviews to identify if there are any aspects of the Carers’ Academy that sustains family caring, and how the Carers’ Academy could be improved to better help carers.
We will make our study findings widely available through our partners such as Alzheimer Scotland and local NHS health boards.REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
25/WA/0085
Date of REC Opinion
19 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion