Carers anxious to remain involved post-admission

THE stress of 24-hour care, lack of support and conflicting responsibilities all influence the decision to admit a loved one with dementia into long-term care, but most of those who do want continued involvement in their relatives’ lives.

New research – entitled Continuing to Care for People with Dementia: Irish Family Carers – has found the decision to admit relatives to care is fraught with ambivalence and carers experience a range of emotions, from a sense of relief to guilt, sadness, loneliness and loss.

Adjustment to the transition was helped by the perceived quality of care provided, and familiarity with the long-stay setting and the provision of emotional support.