Développement d’un programme d’éducation au loisir adapté comme moyen de soutien à l’implication d’aidants d’un proche atteint de démence,

Abstract

ABSTRACTLeisure represents a positive way to keep relationships satisfactory between caregivers and a person with dementia. Adapted leisure education is a promising approach to assist the family to discover new ways to share good times with their relatives. This study aimed to develop an adapted leisure education program. It included an evaluation of the caregivers’ needs, the program content development, and a pilot study to experiment with the content of the program. Three focus groups of dementia caregivers (n = 19) were conducted to investigate caregivers needs. Based on content analysis of these focus groups and a literature review, the content of the program was developed. The pilot study (n = 4) included a quasi-experimental trial and an implementation evaluation. This study led to the development of an adapted leisure education program that puts caregiver support in a new perspective, focusing on positive aspects rather than the burden of caregiving.