[Efficacy of caregiver support groups for dementia]

Abstract

Counseling of caregivers is an essential component of the management of patients with dementia. According to the empirical research in this field, peer-led self-help groups have the potential to improve subjective outcomes including emotional support, social contact, and control over one's life and thus may facilitate caregiving and reduce psychological burdens. Self-help groups have not been shown, however, to modify objective outcomes such as the time spent for care or the frequency of nursing home admissions. The outcomes of counseling programmes led by professionals depend on the focus of intervention and may include benefits in psychological and psychosomatic symptoms, coping with stress, and managing behavioural disturbances. Studies in the U.S., Australia, and Finland have demonstrated that multimodal counseling programmes led by professionals significantly reduce the number of nursing home admissions and therefore may have considerable importance for health economics.