Highlights Older carers’ experiences are not dissimilar to those of other adult carers. These experiences may be particularly challenging due to their age. Loneliness both outside and within relationships is common. Older carers worry about the future when they cannot care. Older carers often fail to ask for support.

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Four women whose husbands had aphasia were asked to talk about their lives in several indepth interviews. Themes from their accounts were used to plan, deliver, and evaluate a support course. Themes from their initial interviews were used to create a course plan containing skill training, provision of information, and discussion topics. Themes emerging from their reports during course discussions provided a means for participants to explore and problem-solve their current issues. Evaluation of the course was based on themes drawn from two post-course interviews. Findings suggest that (1) aphasia affected these four participants differently, (2) themes from autobiographical reports were useful in planning content of a course to assure its relevance, (3) issues raised by participants during the course served to assure course relevance in its delivery, and (4) autobiographical descriptions offered a way of discovering whether and how the course experience had an ongoing impact on the lives of the participants. It is concluded that the collection and analysis of autobiographical reports provide an effective way to design, deliver and evaluate learning in a support course for partners of those with aphasia.

Purpose: Very little is known about how older people from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups caring for someone after a stroke access and engage with social care services. This paper explores both the experiences of carers whose relative was receiving social care services in their own home and the value of a theory of humanising care to understand and explain these experiences. Method Conclusions:Carers from BME and White British groups share many experiences of homecare although language and cultural difference may exacerbate common pressures and stresses. The framework for humanising care is a useful tool to evaluate aspects of home care that are responsive to dignity and diversity.