Family carers experiences after dementia relative's hospital admission
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Informal family carers experiences following the acute hospital admission of a relative with dementia.
IRAS ID
337759
Contact name
Thomas Hadden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Coventry University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Question: What are informal family carers experiences following the acute hospital admission of a relative with dementia?
As of 2021, it is estimated that there are around 700,000 unpaid carers of people living with dementia in the UK with two thirds reporting that they “desperately needed more support to protect their [own] well-being” (Alzheimer’s society state of caring report, 2021). As dementia progresses, the individual with dementia is at increased risk of hospitalisation, with older adults with dementia typically experiencing longer stays and more re-admissions to hospital (Connolly & O’Shea, 2015). These admissions to acute hospitals can have significant psychological, physical, financial, and social consequences for the person with dementia and their family-carer (Daley et al. 2019). Past research has highlighted that a relative’s hospitalisation exacerbates carer stress and strain through increasing their time and financial demands (Douglas-Dunbar & Gardiner, 2007).
The aim of this research project is to gain a better understanding of the experiences of family-carers following their relative with dementia’s admission to an acute hospital. The project will use a thematic design in order to collect qualitative information on family carers. A purposive sample of 10-15 adult family carers will be recruited for the study who fit the inclusion criteria of: being an adult family member (spouse, partner, or adult child) who provide or have provided an unpaid caring role for a relative with dementia who is over the age of 65. Additionally, the person with dementia should have been admitted to an acute hospital within the last 12-months with their admission lasting at least 14 days. Participants will take part in a semi-structured interview, focusing on 4 broad areas for discussion including: carers situation, patient care, staff interactions and hospital environment. The interview should last approximately 1 hour. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. These interviews will be recorded and transcribed as part of the analysis process and thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data and identify key themes.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NE/0085
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion