The Senior Companion Program Plus: An Innovative Training Approach for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia

Abstract

African Americans adults are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and are underrepresented in research about ADRD. Reducing gaps in the knowledge about ADRD in the African American community is important for addressing dementia care disparities. The existing psychoeducation interventions are often limited by cost and scalability; for these reasons, lay provider (i.e., volunteer) interventions are of increasing interest in ADRD research. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a training of African American Senior Companion (SC) volunteers (n = 11) with dementia-specific knowledge (i.e., Senior Companion Program/SCP Plus), as part of a culturally informed, in-home, psychoeducational intervention for African American ADRD family caregivers. Learning outcomes were measured pre- and post-training, using the Knowledge of Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia scale (KAD), the Sense of Competence Questionnaire, and the Preparedness for Caregiving Scale. The results showed significant improvements in knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, one competence item, “It is clear to me how much care my care recipient needs”, and preparedness for caregiving. Overall, the study findings suggest the SCP Plus is a promising, culturally relevant, and potentially scalable lay provider training for ADRD with potential benefits that augment the existing Senior Companion Program.