VeSpaRo: Reconciling care and work for informal carers of people with dementia – Opportunities and challenges in the area of conflict between competing private and professional roles

Background

In Germany, around four out of five people who are in need of care currently live at home and are mainly cared for by their family members. The proportion of informal carers who are employed has risen steadily in recent years. The combination of care responsibilities and the demands imposed by the need to earn a living creates an area of conflict for many informal carers, which inevitably has a negative effect. However, working can also be perceived as a diversion from care work and thus contributes to relief, greater life satisfaction and thus to the stability of the care situation. The specific situation of informal carers of people with dementia is often more stressful than the situation of other family carers. However, while the topic of ‘reconciling care and work’ is already receiving a lot of attention in general, the level of knowledge about the specific situation of informal carers of people with dementia is lower. The National Dementia Strategy in Germany addresses the issue of reconciling care and work and has commissioned a study on this topic.

Project aim and approach

The project analyses gaps in research and support for working informal carers of people with dementia. To achieve the objectives, a rapid scoping review will be written as a first step, in which findings from scientific and grey literature will be analysed with regard to the evidence already available and research gaps will be identified. In the second step, this will be supplemented and fleshed out by consulting experts from academia or those with experience in the context of legislation and advocacy. In order to deepen the analysis, in a third step, working informal carers of people with dementia as well as experts from practice will be interviewed.

Expected results

The project VeSpaRo will provide an overview of key concepts and essential thematic fields of research on the topic of ‘Reconciling care and work in the context of dementia’. Gaps in research and support will be identified and included in the national framework. recommendations for action will be proposed based on these results.