Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T04:48:41.457Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

What would help me stop abusing? The family carer's perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2009

Amber Selwood ,
Claudia Cooper ,
Colm Owens ,
Martin Blanchard  and
Gill Livingston
Amber Selwood
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, U.K.
Claudia Cooper*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, U.K.
Colm Owens
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, U.K.
Martin Blanchard
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, U.K.
Gill Livingston
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, U.K.
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Claudia Cooper, Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, Holborn Union Building, Archway Campus, Highgate Hill, London, N19 5LW, U.K. Phone: +44 (0) 207 2885931 Email: [email protected].
Get access

Abstract

Background: A third of family members caring for people with dementia report acting abusively towards them, but there are currently no evidence-based interventions to reduce or prevent such behavior. Family carers who act abusively have not previously been consulted about what may help to reduce abuse.

Method: We prospectively recruited a consecutive sample of 220 family carers of people with dementia referred to secondary psychiatric services. We asked carers who reported any abusive behavior in the previous three months to select from a list of services and potential interventions those that they thought might help to reduce or prevent this abusive behavior. Carers were also asked to suggest other interventions that might help prevent abuse.

Results: 113/115 carers who reported any abusive behavior answered questions about possible interventions. The three most frequently endorsed interventions were: medication to help the care recipient's memory (n = 54; 48.2%); written advice on understanding memory problems and what to do (n = 48; 42.9%) and more information from professionals caring for the person with dementia (n = 45; 40.2%). When asked which interventions were most important, medication to help memory (n = 21; 18.6%), home care (n = 17; 15.0%), residential respite and sitting services (both n = 12; 10.6%) were most frequently endorsed.

Conclusion: To prevent abuse, family carers prioritized medication for memory, good communication from professionals, written advice on memory problems, home care, residential respite and sitting services. As no interventions to reduce abuse by family carers have yet been formally evaluated, a good starting point may be the expressed wishes of family carers.

Keywords

elder abusepreventioncarerdementia
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , April 2009 , pp. 309 - 313
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beach, S., Schulz, R., Williamson, G., Miller, L., Weiner, M. and Lance, C. (2005). Risk factors for potentially harmful informal caregiver behavior. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53, 255–261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Compton, S. A., Flanagan, P. and Gregg, W. (1997). Elder abuse in people with dementia in Northern Ireland: prevalence and predictors in cases referred to a psychiatry of old age service. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 12, 632–635.3.0.CO;2-9>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, C., Balamurali, T. B., Selwood, A. and Livingston, G. (2007). A systematic review of intervention studies about anxiety in caregivers of people with dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 181–188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, C., Manela, M., Katona, C. and Livingston, G. (2008a). Screening for elder abuse in dementia in the LASER-AD study: prevalence, correlates and validation of instruments. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 283–288.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, C., Selwood, A., Blanchard, M., Walker, Z., Blizard, R. and Livingston, G. (2008b). THE CARD study – abuse of people with dementia by family carers. BMJ (submitted).Google Scholar
Cooper, C., Selwood, A. and Livingston, G. (2008c). The prevalence of elder abuse and neglect: a systematic review. Age and Ageing, 37, 151–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Health (2008a). Carers at the Heart of 21st Century Families and Communities: A Caring System on Your Side, a Life of Your Own. The Stationery Office: London.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2008b). The National Dementia Strategy. The Stationery Office: London.Google Scholar
Folstein, M. F, Folstein, S. E. and McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gallagher-Thompson, D., Coon, D. W., Solano, N., Ambler, C., Rabinowitz, Y. and Thompson, L. W. (2003). Change in indices of distress among Latino and Anglo female caregivers of elderly relatives with dementia: site-specific results from the REACH national collaborative study. Gerontologist, 43, 580–591.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grossberg, G. T. (2008). Impact of rivastigmine on caregiver burden associated with Alzheimer's disease in both informal care and nursing home settings. Drugs and Aging, 25, 573–584.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lachs, M. S., Williams, C. S., O'Brien, S., Pillemer, K. A. and Charlson, M. E. (1998). The mortality of elder mistreatment. JAMA, 280, 428–432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed