Citation

Chamberlain L, Anderson C, Knifton C, Madden G. Nurs. Older People 2018; 30(5): 20-25.

Affiliation

Dementia UK, London, England.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, RCN Publishing)

DOI

10.7748/nop.2018.e1035

PMID

29869482

Abstract

With an ageing population comes an increasing risk of illnesses such as dementia and a growing need for care. There are 670,000 informal, unpaid carers in the UK, reducing costs for health and social care services but presenting other concerns for healthcare professionals. Carer burden and carer stress are well-documented concepts, and can lead to depression and a risk of suicide in some individuals. It is important that this risk is considered when supporting informal carers of people living with dementia. Admiral Nurses work with families living with dementia to provide the one-to-one support and expert guidance they need to manage. This article discusses a case study that highlights how caring can affect an individual, leading to thoughts of suicide. It also demonstrates how an Admiral Nurse could support the carer in a relationship-centred way, using appropriate interventions to avoid crisis. The article offers implications for practice and provides recommendations for nurses working in this field.

© 2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Language: en

Keywords

Admiral Nurses; carers; dementia; informal carers; mental health; neurology; suicidal intent; suicide