BackgroundUnpaid, informal carers or caregivers play an important role in supporting people living with dementia but the role can be challenging and carers themselves may benefit from support. Alzheimer’s, dementia or memory cafés are one such form of support . These cafés are usually provided in the voluntary sector and are a place where people with dementia and those supporting them, usually family carers, can meet with others in similar situations.MethodsUsing semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study explored the experiences of 11 carers from five dementia cafés in and around London, England.ResultsThematic analysis resulted in the identification of four key themes. Cafés provide a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where carers can go where they feel supported and accepted. Café attendance often brought a sense of normality to these carers’ lives. Carers and those they care for look forward to going and often enjoy both the activities provided and socialising with others. Other highlighted benefits included peer support from other carers, information provision and support from the volunteer café coordinators. Despite diversity in how the cafés were run and in the activities offered, there were many reported similarities amongst carers in the value ascribed to attending the cafés.ConclusionsDementia cafés appear to be a valuable, perhaps unique form of support for carers giving them brief respite from their caring role. Future research incorporating mixed methods is needed to understand the perspectives of those living with dementia.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0559-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:Dementia in younger people, known as young (YOD) or early onset dementia (EOD), can pose significant challenges. YOD is often diagnosed in those in paid employment who have relatively young children, leading to different challenges to those for older people. It is therefore very important to provide support tailored to their specific needs. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the literature investigating the impact of psychosocial interventions for people with YOD and their family carers.Method:Eight electronic databases were searched and three key journals were also hand searched. Narrative synthesis of the selected articles was undertaken.Results:Of the 498 records identified, 495 were ineligible after application of the exclusion criteria. The final sample included three studies, all of which were employment-based. Two were qualitative and one used mixed methods. Study quality was mixed. People with YOD and their carers reported benefits from participating in work-based interventions designed for those with YOD, including improved self-esteem and sense of purpose. Social contact was highlighted. Despite cognitive decline, maintenance in well-being was also reported. Carers described benefits for people with YOD, which extended outside the intervention, e.g. enhanced sleep and mood. The impact of the interventions on carers was not assessed.Conclusions:This review suggests work-based interventions providing supported, meaningful work outside the home can be beneficial. However, the dearth of studies, the lack of focus on family carers and their mixed quality demonstrate the need for better quality, mixed methods research with larger sample sizes.

Dementia cafés (also known as Alzheimer's or memory cafés) have been running in the United Kingdom (UK) since 2000. This article reports on the recommendations from recent research that interviewed family carers on their experiences of using the cafés. The research was carried out in cafés in and around London, and focussed on informal, unpaid carers' experiences of using them. Eleven carers from five different dementia cafés were interviewed, using semi structured questionnaires. The results were thematically analysed. The findings showed that carers had an overwhelming appreciation of the cafés and what they offered, but several of the findings led to the recommendations about the recruitment and training of café coordinators; how cafés present themselves and their services and how they can offer dedicated support to informal carers. These recommendations will be of use to café organisers and commissioners, especially considering the dearth of information currently available in this area.