Photo Credit: Makhbubakhon Ismatova
The following is a summary of “Identifying the needs of natural caregivers caring for a person with dementia: a mixed method study,” published in the February 2025 issue of BMC Primary Care by Dibao-Dina et al.
Existing interventions for dementia caregivers often fail as they do not address individual needs, requiring better support strategies.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess caregiver needs. Findings will guide a tailored intervention for better support.
They used a mixed-method convergent design, collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously. Questionnaires were sent to adult caregivers identified by healthcare professionals in rural and urban departments. A qualitative study included individual caregiver interviews and focus groups in two primary healthcare territories. Data on caregiver challenges and support received were collected. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data underwent thematic analysis with a grounded theory approach. Results were integrated using a weaving approach for theme-based analysis.
The results showed that 199 general practitioners and 67 caregivers participated in the quantitative study. In the qualitative study, 10 urban and 12 rural caregivers joined individual interviews, while 9 healthcare professionals participated in focus groups. Identified caregiver needs included awareness and early diagnosis, information and training, practical and coordinated support, and psychological support. The integrated analysis highlighted the need for better caregiver role recognition, distress identification, disease progression information, public awareness, and improved coordination of practical support.
Investigators found that the identified caregiver needs to be aligned with existing literature. The mixed-method approach helped explore expectations by combining patient and healthcare professional perspectives to improve care.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-025-02724-1
