Factors associated with the quality of life of family carers of people with dementia: A systematic review

Nicolas Farina, Thomas E. Page, Stephanie Daley, Anna Brown, Ann Bowling, Thurstine Basset, Gill Livingston, Martin Knapp, Joanna Murray, Sube Banerjee*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction</jats:title><jats:p>Family carers of people with dementia are their most important support in practical, personal, and economic terms. Carers are vital to maintaining the quality of life (QOL) of people with dementia. This review aims to identify factors related to the QOL of family carers of people with dementia.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Searches on terms including “carers,” “dementia,” “family,” and “quality of life” in research databases. Findings were synthesized inductively, grouping factors associated with carer QOL into themes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>A total of 909 abstracts were identified. Following screening, lateral searches, and quality appraisal, 41 studies (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 5539) were included for synthesis. A total of 10 themes were identified: demographics; carer–patient relationship; dementia characteristics; demands of caring; carer health; carer emotional well‐being; support received; carer independence; carer self‐efficacy; and future.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion</jats:title><jats:p>The quality and level of evidence supporting each theme varied. We need further research on what factors predict carer QOL in dementia and how to measure it.</jats:p></jats:sec>
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)572-581
Number of pages0
JournalAlzheimer's &amp; Dementia
Volume13
Issue number5
Early online date3 Feb 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2017

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