Bolton Family Caregivers wellbeing improved through our ‘Empowered Carers’ service, report shows.
A new report carried out in Bolton showed that the wellbeing of Family Caregivers caring for someone with dementia can be improved with specialist one-to-one support. Ten Carers received six sessions each from Empowered Carers, which offered emotional and practical support for those caring for someone with dementia. The sessions focused on improving connections, relationships and self-care, as evidence suggests Family Carers have increased vulnerability to stress and depression;
- 9 of the Carers felt like their level of burden decreased by Session 6 and
- 9 experienced increased feelings of wellbeing.
Prevention in early admission to external care facilities was highlighted as important to caregivers who want to care for their family member within their home environment. A study conducted by the New York University Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI) demonstrated that a reduction in carer burden and improvement in wellbeing delayed the entrance of those that they were caring for into full time care by 557 days.
Rachel Yates-Hoyles, project lead for Empowered Carers Bolton, said: “With an ageing population in the UK, it’s really important that not only do we look out for people living with dementia, but those caring for them too. “An improvement in wellbeing and reduction in burden could reduce the risk of future psychological crisis for carers, such as anxiety and major depressive disorders.
“This study in Bolton is a positive start in the right direction and Empowered Carers are continuing to evaluate sessions with local Carers to improve the support on offer. I hope that we see this type of support grow in accessibility around the UK for Family Carers, as the positive outcomes identified at this early stage are already so encouraging.” Another report is expected anytime now.
To read the full report go to Bolton Pilot : Early Results – Empowered Conversations (empowered-conversations.co.uk)