Peer support involves matching people in need of support with volunteers who have been in a similar situation. Whilst motivations and positive and negative aspects of general volunteering have been noted in the literature, little is known about the impact of providing peer support in the context of personal experiences of caring for someone with dementia. The aim of this study was to use rich, detailed case studies to build narratives of the impact of being a carer supporter. Participants were experienced carers of a person with dementia (either current or former), matched in a programme with newer dementia carers for a ten month period. The aim of the programme was to improve a sense of self-efficacy and competence in the newer carer through encouragement and positive reinforcement of carer skills development and carer network building activities. Eight carer supporters from two London Boroughs took part m semi-structured interviews. These were subject to a narrative analysis, focusing on structural components of the narratives, themes, and the influence of the wider socio-cultural context.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:588521 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Brooks, Alice |
| Publisher | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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