Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Jun-Jul;23(3):233-41.
doi: 10.1177/1533317508315336. Epub 2008 Mar 25.

An educational intervention to support caregivers of elders with dementia

Michelle Devor  1 , Marian Renvall
Affiliations

An educational intervention to support caregivers of elders with dementia

Michelle Devor et al. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Jun-Jul.

Abstract

The majority of home-dwelling elders with dementia are cared for by family members or friends. Interventions to support community-based caregivers are needed. A community-based seminar series was provided to 300 self-referred family caregivers with dementia. Participants were surveyed for caregiver burden and overload and perceived competence before and 6 months after the seminars. In all, 88 (29%) of participants completed a 6-month survey. Self-perceived caregiver competence improved (3.9 +/- 1.6 to 5.0 +/- 0.32, P < .006); a trend toward improvement in caregiver overload, and there was no change in caregiver burden. Caregivers with baseline parameters indicative of higher burden, overload, or lower competence showed improved scores at 6 months. The educational program was effective in improving competence and may have slowed the expected increase in burden associated with caring for those with a progressive dementia. Caregivers with higher burden may be targeted for this type of intervention, as they seemed to benefit the most.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Mark H. Beers. Merck Manual of Geriatrics. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Lab; 2000.
    1. Hebert LE, Scherr PA, Bienias JL, Bennett DA, Evans DA Alzheimer disease in the US population: prevalence estimates using the 2000 census. Arch Neurol. 2003;60: 1119-1122. - PubMed
    1. Caregiving in the U. S. Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, funded by MetLife Foundation. Bethesda, MD; 2004.
    1. Bertrand RM, Fredman L., Saczynski J. Are all caregivers created equal? Stress in caregivers to adults with and without dementia. J Aging Health. 2006;18:534-551. - PubMed
    1. Gruffydd E., Randle J. Alzheimer's disease and the psychosocial burden for caregivers. Community Pract. 2006; 27:15-18. - PubMed

Publication types