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Dementia cafés: recommendations from interviews with informal carers

Farrukh Akhtar (Department of Social Work and Social Care, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK) (St George’s, University of London, London, UK)
Nan Greenwood (Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK) (St George’s, University of London, London, UK)
Raymond Smith (Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK)
Angela Richardson (Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, UK) (St George’s, University of London, London, UK) (University of Bradford, Bradford, UK)

Working with Older People

ISSN: 1366-3666

Article publication date: 18 September 2017

Issue publication date: 19 October 2017

434

Abstract

Purpose

Dementia cafés (also known as Alzheimer’s or memory cafés) have been running in the UK since 2000. The purpose of this paper is to report on the recommendations from recent research that interviewed family carers on their experiences of using the cafés.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was carried out in cafés in and around London, and focussed on informal, unpaid carers’ experiences of using them. In total, 11 carers from five different dementia cafés were interviewed, using semi-structured questionnaires. The results were thematically analysed.

Findings

The findings showed that carers had an overwhelming appreciation of the cafés and what they offered, but several of the findings led to the recommendations about the recruitment and training of café co-ordinators; how cafés present themselves and their services and how they can offer dedicated support to informal carers.

Originality/value

These recommendations will be of use to café organisers and commissioners, especially considering the dearth of information currently available in this area.

Keywords

Citation

Akhtar, F., Greenwood, N., Smith, R. and Richardson, A. (2017), "Dementia cafés: recommendations from interviews with informal carers", Working with Older People, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 236-242. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-07-2017-0018

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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