Investigating what works to support family carers of people with dementia: a rapid realist review.
Advances in longevity and medicine mean that many more people in the UK survive life-threatening diseases but are instead susceptible to life-limiting diseases such as dementia. Within the next 10 years those affected by dementia in the UK is set to rise to over 1 million, making reliance on family care of people with dementia (PWD) essential. A central challenge is how to improve family carer support to offset the demands made by dementia care which can jeopardise carers' own health. This review investigates 'what works to support family carers of PWD'.



Rapid realist review of a comprehensive range of databases.



Five key themes emerged: (1) extending social assets, (2) strengthening key psychological resources, (3) maintaining physical health status, (4) safeguarding quality of life and (5) ensuring timely availability of key external resources. It is hypothesized that these five factors combine and interact to provide critical biopsychosocial and service support that bolsters carer 'resilience' and supports the maintenance and sustenance of family care of PWD.



'Resilience-building' is central to 'what works to support family carers of PWD'. The resulting model and Programme Theories respond to the burgeoning need for a coherent approach to carer support.
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE7 7XA, UK.|Fuse, Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK.
M
M
Parkinson
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE7 7XA, UK.|Fuse, Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK.|Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC 3353,, Australia.
S M
SM
Carr
Fuse, Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK.|School of Health & Social Care, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley TS1 3BX, UK.
R
R
Rushmer
Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Baddiley-Clark Building, Richardson Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK.
C
C
Abley
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D006113:United Kingdom
Alzheimer's disease; adult resilience; dementia; family carers; realist review
Health Technol Assess. 2008 Mar;12(4):iii, v-ix, 1-78
18284895
Aging Ment Health. 2011 Aug;15(6):663-70
21547745
J Affect Disord. 2012 Jun;139(1):1-11
21723617
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;26(12):1275-82
21360590
Gerontologist. 2013 Feb;53(1):71-80
22563001
Gerontologist. 2010 Feb;50(1):36-47
19549715
Int J Nurs Stud. 2008 Mar;45(3):418-27
17109862
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Mar;23(3):238-43
17676651
Implement Sci. 2015 Apr 16;10:49
25885787
Neurology. 2006 Nov 14;67(9):1592-9
17101889
Can J Aging. 2012 Dec;31(4):445-55
23021103
Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2011 Sep;15(4):351-7
20870459
Maturitas. 2010 Jun;66(2):191-200
20307942
Aging Ment Health. 2009 Sep;13(5):761-8
19882415
Lancet. 2012 Jul 7;380(9836):37-43
22579043
J Adv Nurs. 2004 Aug;47(3):279-86
15238122
Psychol Aging. 2005 Mar;20(1):100-16
15769217
West J Nurs Res. 2007 Dec;29(8):944-60
17596639
Dementia (London). 2013 Sep;12(5):551-68
24337329
Contemp Clin Trials. 2011 Jan;32(1):129-39
20955821
J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Oct;16(10):1031-8
20929380
Geriatr Nurs. 2013 Nov-Dec;34(6):509-16
23972542
Age Ageing. 2002 Mar;31(2):87-91
11937470
BMJ. 2006 Mar 25;332(7543):692-6
16565124
Aging Ment Health. 2013;17(8):973-8
23614391
Psychol Bull. 2003 Nov;129(6):946-72
14599289
Gerontologist. 1991 Aug;31(4):483-9
1894152
J Gerontol Nurs. 2006 Feb;32(2):45-53
16502761
Psychosom Med. 2005 Nov-Dec;67(6):964-71
16314602
J Clin Nurs. 2013 Feb;22(3-4):501-12
23170780
West J Nurs Res. 2005 Oct;27(6):701-21
16157943
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013 Nov;28(11):1182-8
23456660
J Ment Health. 2010 Jun;19(3):227-33
20441486
Psychol Aging. 2007 Jun;22(2):361-71
17563191
BMC Med. 2013 Jan 29;11:21
23360677
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009 Jul-Aug;49(1):e1-5
18703239
J Pers. 1996 Dec;64(4):993-1005
8956520
Am Psychol. 2001 Mar;56(3):227-38
11315249
Fam Pract. 2004 Aug;21(4):454-7
15249537
Soc Sci Med. 1997 Oct;45(8):1207-21
9381234
Int Psychogeriatr. 2009 Feb;21(1):33-9
18925976
Sociol Health Illn. 2014 Jul;36(6):885-901
24935028
J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2008 Aug;20(8):423-8
18786017
Lancet Neurol. 2006 Nov;5(11):961-73
17052663
Child Dev. 2000 May-Jun;71(3):543-62
10953923
Soc Sci Med. 2005 Aug;61(3):697-708
15899327
J Gerontol Nurs. 2007 Mar;33(3):30-6
17378189
Psychol Aging. 2000 Sep;15(3):437-50
11014707
Public Health. 2014 Jun;128(6):515-24
24923994
Am Psychol. 1999 Mar;54(3):165-81
10199217
Nurs Forum. 2007 Apr-Jun;42(2):73-82
17474940
J Neurosci Nurs. 1991 Aug;23(4):224-30
1833481
Implement Sci. 2013 Sep 05;8:103
24007206
Int J Ment Health Syst. 2014 Dec 13;8:53
25926875
Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:399-419
15760295