How to support family carers of people with dementia living in care homes

Moving into a care home is a major life event, and for people with dementia and their families it can be particularly stressful and challenging. This article outlines how nurses working in care homes can support family carers of residents with dementia during the transition into the care home and throughout the person's stay. • Family carers may experience feelings of loss, guilt and loneliness when they relinquish care. They have their own information and support needs, separate from those of the person with dementia. • A positive relationship between the family carer and the new care provider can improve outcomes for the resident, the family carer and care home staff. • Family carers feel less anxious when the responsibility of caring for the person with dementia is shared between themselves and care home staff and when they have confidence in staff. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: • How this article might improve your practice when supporting the family carers of care home residents with dementia in the transition phase and throughout the person's stay at the care home. • How you could use this information to educate nursing students or colleagues on supporting family carers of care home residents with dementia.