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. 2014 Jan;13(1):79-95.
doi: 10.1177/1471301212449408. Epub 2012 Jul 2.

Advance care treatment plan (ACT-Plan) for African American family caregivers: a pilot study

Gloria J Bonner  1 , Edward Wang, Diana J Wilkie, Carol E Ferrans, Barbara Dancy, Yashika Watkins
Affiliations

Advance care treatment plan (ACT-Plan) for African American family caregivers: a pilot study

Gloria J Bonner et al. Dementia (London). 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Research is limited on end-of-life treatment decisions made by African American family caregivers. In a pilot study, we examined the feasibility of implementing an advance care treatment plan (ACT-Plan), a group-based education intervention, with African American dementia caregivers. Theoretically based, the ACT-Plan included strategies to enhance knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral skills to make end-of-life treatment plans in advance. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding were end-of-life treatments discussed in the ACT-Plan. In a four-week pre/posttest two-group design at urban adult day care centers, 68 caregivers were assigned to the ACT-Plan or attention-control health promotion conditions. Findings strongly suggest that the ACT-Plan intervention is feasible and appropriate for African American caregivers. Self-efficacy and knowledge about dementia, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding increased for ACT-Plan participants but not for the attention-control. More ACT-Plan than attention-control participants developed advance care plans for demented relatives. Findings warrant a randomized efficacy trial.

Keywords: African Americans; advance care planning; dementia caregivers.

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