Understanding and promoting resilience factors and processes among family caregivers of people with dementia.

Family caregivers are the cornerstone of dementia care in Canada, as they are worldwide. Our reliance on such caregivers as the main providers of care will continue as the population ages and rates of dementia increase. Although family caregiving is associated with better outcomes for care recipients and most caregivers want to continue caring for as long as possible, providing dementia care and navigating available services can be challenging. In general, dementia caregivers are highly stressed and experience negative physical, social, emotional, and financial consequences. However, some caregivers thrive and maintain or improve their health, suggesting that providing care can have positive health effects under certain circumstances. We propose to study what leads to strength in times of adversity (i.e. resilience) among dementia caregivers. By identifying resilience contributing factors and processes, we aim to improve the health and wellbeing of both dementia caregivers and those living with dementia. To do this, we will bring together dementia caregivers; renowned resilience, aging, and dementia researchers; and community stakeholders to discuss what we know about caregiver resilience, where gaps in knowledge and support provision lie, and how best to meet caregivers' needs. We will compare Nova Scotia and Ireland, as this will allow us to identify universal and contextual resilience processes between areas with similar demographics but different health and social care systems. At our meeting, knowledge-users and researchers will be equal partners. Researchers, service providers, and dementia caregivers will discuss the latest research, policy, and practice in this area. Our collaboration will strengthen international research ties and will result in a CIHR Project Grant proposal. By understanding and promoting resilience among caregivers, we will help to ensure the necessary conditions for the health and wellbeing of both caregivers and persons with dementia.