In Spain there is a lack of attention to Alzheimer's disease, according to a researcher from the University of Navarra.
Nuria Esandi demonstrates the need for changes in care, political and social aspects of this disease, which affects nearly 10,000 Navarrese people.
PHOTO: Manuel Castells
Significant healthcare, political and social changes are needed in Spain to provide care for Alzheimer's disease that integrates the demands of the patient and his or her family. This is the main conclusion of the thesis of Nuria Esandi, PhD from the University of Sheffield (UK) and researcher at the School Nursing of the University of Navarra.
Traditionally, the research, the internship and health policies have focused on the patient and the main caregiver, ignoring the consequences of the disease for the entire family unit. Esandi's research explores and identifies the processes that occur in families living with this disease, which already affects 2.5% of Spaniards, nearly 10,000 people in Navarra.
The results of the study show that from the initial stage of Alzheimer's disease, the family faces multiple and diverse changes that affect their life and family functioning. From that moment on they must "redefine" their roles within the family.their relationships, routines and expectations for the future.
According to this work, framed within the project de research Sustainable Family Caregiver (FCS) and Dependency.School As a result, these families perceive that they do not have the necessary professional guidance from financial aid to guide them through this process of change and family transition.
Along these lines, Esandi assures, "we must adopt health policies with a more inclusive view of the disease that simultaneously consider the needs of the affected person and of the entire family system". According to the expert, this will make it possible to offer proactive and anticipatory responses for these families instead of reactive or palliative actions, as has been the case up to now.
The thesis , entitled"Keeping Things in Balance: Family Experiences of Living with Alzheimer's Disease. A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study", has been directed by Mike Nolan, Full Professor of the University of Sheffield, and Ana Canga, professor at the University of Navarra and member of high school of research Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA). In relation to this work, Nuria Esandi has published articles in scientific journals considered of high impact in her field such as Primary Health Care and Gerokomos.
Prior to research, she completed the Master's Degree at Nursing Science at the University of Navarra (now Master's Degree at internship Advanced and management in Nursing). In addition to spending her first year of thesis at the University of Sheffield, she has spent several research stays at the University of Lund (Sweden); the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) and the University of Nijmegen (The Netherlands), as part of the training program for nursing doctoral students in Europe, promoted by"The European Academy Nursing Science".
She has also been a visiting researcher at the University of São Paulo (Brazil). She has received several grants from the University of Navarra, the thesis and the Banco Santander UK for the Chair María Egea for the realization of the and the stays.