Helping families provide better quality care to people living with dementia
By Gerard A. Riley, PhD. Associate Professor; Jan R. Oyebode, PhD. Professor, University of Birmingham, UK.
Family members provide the majority of care for people living with dementia, yet far less attention has been paid to the quality of this care than that delivered through dementia care services. Caring for a loved one is also very different from working in a professional care setting. Family carers are supporting someone they know and love, often around the clock, while balancing their own health, wellbeing and other responsibilities.
Supporting families to provide high-quality, person-centred care is therefore an important part of improving outcomes for people living with dementia. Person-centred care focuses on treating people with dignity and respect, supporting choice and independence wherever possible, and recognising each person’s individual history, preferences and needs.
Supporting families to provide person-centred care
Research suggests that while many family carers provide excellent care, some need additional support to put the principles of person-centred care into practice. This can include involving people living with dementia in decisions about their own care, encouraging participation in everyday activities and maintaining independence wherever it is safe and practical.
In reality, these decisions are rarely straightforward. Family carers often need to balance independence with safety, manage time pressures, and respond to changing needs. When stress, fatigue or competing responsibilities arise, it can become tempting to take over tasks rather than support a person to do as much as they can for themselves.
These situations highlight why good dementia care is not simply about knowing the right principles, but understanding how to apply them in everyday life.
Working together to improve care
Education is an important first step, but information alone is not always enough to change practice. Families often benefit from practical guidance that helps them apply person-centred care in ways that reflect their own circumstances, routines and relationships.
Healthcare professionals also have an important role to play. Rather than telling families what they should do, working collaboratively allows carers to combine their own knowledge of the person with professional expertise to find realistic and meaningful solutions together.
By recognising the challenges family carers face and providing the right education, support and partnership, it is possible to strengthen person-centred care at home. This benefits not only people living with dementia, but also the family members who play such a vital role in supporting them every day.
To learn more about improving the quality of family care, you can subscribe to the Australian Journal of Dementia Care.