Assisting people with dementia with their medicines: experiences of family carers

OBJECTIVES Many family carers provide assistance with medicines that is vital for optimal clinical outcomes. Medicines-related tasks are known to contribute to carer burden and stress. This study examined the experiences of family carers when providing medicines-related assistance for a person with dementia, to indicate how services could become more responsive to the specific needs of this group of carers. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with family carers and care-recipients identified though a memory clinic in north London and a local Alzheimer's Society. The interview guide, comprising open questions, was informed by previous studies and consultation with stakeholders. Qualitative procedures involving a framework approach were employed in the analysis. KEY FINDINGS Fourteen interviews with carers and five with care-recipients were conducted. These highlighted the burden and challenges, surrounding medicines-management activities. As well as practical aspects that could be complex, carers were commonly making judgements about the need for and appropriateness of medicines. Although experiences were varied, carers reported difficulties in maintaining supplies, ensuring adherence to regimens and accessing health professionals; and they made some recommendations for service improvements. Carers' difficulty in obtaining information and advice about medicines was compounded by their desire to allow the care-recipient to retain autonomy over their medicines as long as possible. CONCLUSION This study highlights the distinct needs and problems with regard to medicines-management when caring for a person with dementia. As the prevalence of dementia rises, interventions designed to address these specific aspects of reduce carer-burden should be a priority for health professionals.