Anhörigstöd vid demenssjukdom : En kvalitativ studie om anhörigstödjares upplevelse

Sammanfattning: Background: There are approximately 150.000 people with dementia living in Sweden, with 40 % living in nursing homes and the remaining 60 % living at home. Relatives caring for persons with dementia need support. The work is demanding and stressful. Caregiving is often carried out 24 hours a day, every day. Caregiver supporters offers support to relatives caring for persons with dementia. Aim: To describe caregiver supporters’ experience of caregiver support regarding dementia. Method: A qualitative interview study by manifest qualitative content analysis. Results: There are different types of caregiver support but according to caregiver supporters, relatives mainly want to be seen and heard based on their situation. With knowledge of dementia and the opportunity for relatives to talk with others in the same situation, the supporters feel that the relatives’ health and ability to care are improved. Collaboration between municipalities and the region is insufficient. The supporters feel that many nurses mediate contact, but it is pointed out that nursing education should contain more education about the subject. Conclusion: The accessibility of caregiver supporters in the municipality is important for relatives to receive support. Better cooperation between municipalities and the region could enable more relatives to have access to the caregiver support they need. To enhance this, nurses should have knowledge and education of dementia and caregiver support.