Supporting Dementia Family Carers in Balancing Compassion for Others With Compassion for Self

• Published in: Professional psychology, research and practice research and practice, 2022-10, Vol.53 (5), p.504-510
• Main Authors: Tolmacz, Rami, Pardess, Eleanor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Caregivers; Caregiving; Compassion; Compassion Fatigue; Compassionate care; Dementia; Family Members; Fatigue; Human; Intersubjectivity; Relatives; Self-Compassion; Sympathy
• ISSN: 0735-7028; 1939-1323
• DOI: 10.1037/pro0000455

The aging of the population is creating unprecedented challenges for family members who care for relatives with dementia. There is a pressing need to develop effective practices that can support family carers in sustaining and nourishing themselves while providing care for the family member with dementia. In this article, we offer an intersubjective framework for understanding compassion fatigue, and we map the factors that may promote or impede compassionate care in the context of family dementia care. We conclude with a discussion of the practical implications for clinical intervention for promoting balanced compassion and preventing compassion fatigue on three levels: the individual carer, the family, and the community. Public Significance Statement This article offers an intersubjective framework for understanding factors that may promote or impede compassionate care in the context of family dementia care, which creates unprecedented challenges for family members. The authors conclude with practical implications for the next generation of practitioners to meet the challenges of supporting family dementia carers on the levels individual, the family, and the community.