A local university is embarking on a new study to strengthen support for family carers who care for people with dementia and additional chronic health conditions.

The study, conducted by a research team at Keele University aims to strengthen the inclusion and support of family carers by healthcare professionals when caring for people with dementia who have additional chronic health conditions. 

Led by Dr Angela Clifford, the team are working with local health and community organisations in Staffordshire, people across the region who are living with dementia, and those who support them, to create some practical guidelines and advice to help them collaborate more effectively in providing care. 

Keele University explained that the ageing population in the UK means there are increasing rates of people living with both dementia and other chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.  

People living with dementia often find managing these additional conditions challenging.

They are likely to rely on family carers more to help them attend additional medical appointments, and are often more likely to see their conditions worsen. 

The research team is led by Dr Angela Clifford (image via Keele University)

Despite this crucial role that family carers play they are not consistently involved in decision making and care planning, which can impact the standard of care that their loved ones receive. 

To address this problem, the Keele researchers will speak to people living with dementia, their family carers, and healthcare providers across Staffordshire, to learn more about how carers are currently involved in the care of chronic conditions, how well it works, and what could be improved.   

The team will then bring together a wider group of stakeholders to produce guidance to feed back to healthcare staff to inform practice.

This will then be used to create some practical ideas to improve care for people with dementia and other chronic conditions.   

The goal of the research, funded by a grant from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute and the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust Charity Fund, is to not only improve the care that people with dementia and their carers receive, and to help their families provide more effective care, but also to help the health service more widely by reducing demand for GP appointments and hospital care for chronic secondary conditions. 

Dr Clifford said: "Informal carers have such a vital role in the wellbeing of someone living with dementia and it is important to evidence how we can best support them.

"This study forms part of a planned programme of work here at Keele around dementia care in the community." 

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