Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, calls on dementia family carers to take part in a survey to share their experiences.
Mr Rowlands, a keen supporter of Dementia UK, and who often raises awareness of the illness said:
As a keen supporter of any moves which ultimately helps and supports people suffering from dementia and their families, it is good to see this initiative being carried out to find out more about the challenges carers face.
I would urge anyone who provides care for a family member living with dementia to share their experiences and take part in the health board’s survey.
As an MS for North Wales I am always happy to support and help to highlight this illness and will continue to raise awareness in the Welsh Parliament.
Tracey Williamson, BCUHB’s Consultant Nurse for Dementia and Honorary Professor at University of Worcester, is co-leading a project called Crossing the Line with the Association for Dementia Studies at the University. It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The project is focusing on understanding family carers’ experiences of providing personal care for someone living with dementia, to gain a better understanding around the challenges they face.
Professor Williamson said:
“Family carers that support people with dementia have reported that the issue of personal care is very important to them, though research has shown that little is known about it. We will develop training resources on personal care giving for use by dementia family carers and those who support them.
“Personal care can include a variety of different activities such as helping with going to the toilet, washing, bathing, dressing, mouth-care, shaving, haircare, foot and nail-care.
“We would very much appreciate dementia family carers completing the survey to share their experiences of providing personal care. All responses will be anonymous, meaning they will not be identifiable.”
Participants will need to meet both of the following criteria - they are a current or previous family carer of a person with dementia and they have direct experience of providing personal care to a person with dementia in the past 10 years.
Anyone interested in the survey should please read the information sheet here first, and complete the survey online here.
Paper copies of the survey are also available, in both Welsh and English, and are available by emailing Pauline Finlay, Research Associate for Crossing the Line, via [email protected], to request a copy or for more details.
Arrangements can also be made for the survey to be carried out verbally by phone or on Zoom, and it would be audio recorded.
To find out more about the project please visit the website.
Sam Rowlands AS yn cefnogi prosiect i ddarganfod mwy am yr heriau sy'n wynebu gofalwyr dementia
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn galw ar ofalwyr teulu dementia i gymryd rhan mewn arolwg i rannu eu profiadau.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, cefnogwr brwd Dementia UK, sy'n aml yn codi ymwybyddiaeth o'r salwch:
Fel cefnogwr brwd o unrhyw symudiadau sydd yn y pen draw yn helpu ac yn cefnogi pobl sy'n dioddef o ddementia a'u teuluoedd, mae'n dda gweld y fenter hon ar waith i ddarganfod mwy am yr heriau y mae gofalwyr yn eu hwynebu.
Byddwn yn annog unrhyw un sy'n darparu gofal i aelod o'r teulu sy'n byw gyda dementia i rannu eu profiadau a chymryd rhan yn arolwg y bwrdd iechyd.
Fel Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, dwi bob amser yn hapus i gefnogi a helpu i dynnu sylw at y salwch hwn a byddaf yn parhau i godi ymwybyddiaeth yn y Senedd.
Mae Tracey Williamson, Nyrs Ymgynghorol ar gyfer Dementia ac Athro Anrhydeddus BIPBC ym Mhrifysgol Caerwrangon, yn cyd-arwain prosiect o'r enw Crossing the Line gyda'r Gymdeithas Astudiaethau Dementia yn y Brifysgol. Mae'n cael ei ariannu gan y Sefydliad Cenedlaethol ar gyfer Ymchwil Iechyd a Gofal (NIHR).
Mae'r prosiect yn canolbwyntio ar ddeall profiadau gofalwyr teulu o ddarparu gofal personol i rywun sy'n byw gyda dementia, er mwyn cael gwell dealltwriaeth o'r heriau sy'n eu hwynebu.
Dywedodd yr Athro Williamson:
Mae gofalwyr teuluol sy'n cefnogi pobl â dementia wedi adrodd bod gofal personol yn bwysig iawn iddyn nhw, er bod ymchwil wedi dangos nad oes llawer o wybodaeth amdano. Byddwn yn datblygu adnoddau hyfforddi ar roi gofal personol i'w defnyddio gan ofalwyr teulu dementia a'r rhai sy'n eu cefnogi.
Gall gofal personol gynnwys amrywiaeth o weithgareddau gwahanol fel helpu gyda mynd i'r toiled, ymolchi, gwisgo, gofal ceg, eillio, gofal gwallt, gofal traed ac ewinedd.
Byddem yn gwerthfawrogi pe bai gofalwyr teulu dementia yn cwblhau'r arolwg i rannu eu profiadau o ddarparu gofal personol. Bydd yr holl ymatebion yn ddienw, sy'n golygu na fydd modd eu hadnabod.
Bydd angen i gyfranogwyr fodloni'r ddau faen prawf canlynol – eu bod yn ofalwyr teulu cyfredol neu flaenorol i berson â dementia a bod ganddynt brofiad uniongyrchol o ddarparu gofal personol i berson â dementia yn ystod y 10 mlynedd diwethaf.
Dylai unrhyw un sydd â diddordeb yn yr arolwg ddarllen y daflen wybodaeth hon yn gyntaf, a llenwi’r arolwg ar-lein yma.
Mae copïau papur o'r arolwg hefyd ar gael, yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg, ac maent ar gael trwy e-bostio Pauline Finlay, Cydymaith Ymchwil ar gyfer Crossing the Line, yn [email protected], i ofyn am gopi neu am ragor o fanylion.
Gellir gwneud trefniadau hefyd i'r arolwg gael ei gynnal ar lafar dros y ffôn neu ar Zoom, a bydd y sain yn cael ei recordio.
I ddarganfod mwy am y prosiect ewch i'r wefan.
