Occupational participation and care
A qualitative study on the requirements of caring relatives of people with dementia
Background:
Due to demographic changes, more and more people of working age are caring for there relatives. Caring for a person with dementia is associated with particular challenges and burdens. This can lead to a disability pension benefit or even to giving up work. Existing relief offers do not seem to be sufficient in this context. Preventive, individual, and socio-spatial framework conditions of caregivers are insufficiently implemented in the counselling context and are possibly underutilized.
Material and methods:
An explorative study with semi-standardized, problem-centered interviews with employed carers of people with dementia (N = 8) was conducted in order to record their needs and views on the compatibility of care and work. The evaluation was carried out qualitatively and content-analytically.
Results:
Working caregivers want more individual counseling, financial securtiy, and support in their professional environment. Existing relief offers of the SGB XI for the ill relative can often not be used extensively due to a lack of fit. Counseling is percieived as too unspecific. This should be process-accompanying, corrdinated with the professional situation and existing offers. Infomation on dementia ist described as insufficient. There is little knowledge of social legislation, e. g., Care Time Act.
Conclusion:
Existing counseling services should be specified and further expanded for working people in order to be preventively effective. Resourdes could be used and barriers recognized by implementing social diagnostic instruments. The expansion of the legal basis is also an important social task.
