Caregivers experiences of caring for people with intellectual disability and dementia: a qualitative evidence synthesis

Purpose A systematic review of the literature was completed to examine the needs of those who provide care to people with intellectual disability and dementia. The purpose of this paper was to develop an understanding of the complexities, challenges and support available to meet the needs of an ageing population. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative evidence synthesis was used to appraise 12 studies. An evidence synthesis approach was used to better understand the challenges caregivers experience in caring for a person with intellectual disability and dementia. Aggregating and integrating findings from multiple studies allowed to identify inconsistencies, quality, relationships and trends to enhance the awareness of gaps in care provision. Findings There were six main domains identified from the available literature which included: gaps in knowledge and skills, early identification of dementia and associated difficulties, managing behaviour, coping, burden of care and Impact on confidence. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to use qualitative evidence synthesis to understand the challenges of caring for a person with intellectual disability and dementia.