Abstract
Background: Little attention has been given to the older adult caregivers of spouses with mild and moderate dementia in the caring dynamics process. The aim of this action research was to develop a program for providing support and empowerment to older adult caregivers of spouses with mild and moderate dementia in the community. Methods: The researchers acted as facilitators, with a view to empowering participants. We recruited participants from a day-care center and two community service stations. Data were collected with semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 19 dementia care dyads and from the notes, reflections, and feedback of collaborative researchers. Relevant themes for content analysis were extracted. Results: Three action cycles were completed over 18 months. The results revealed goals of three cycles: to connect the home situation and effective dialogue as a bridge to the researcher, to confirm the daily needs or expectations of the caregiver and the patient, and to enhance the interactions and quality of life of family members with resources and network. This process was cyclical and repetitive, and it also generated partnerships that built relationships among the interdisciplinary team, families, and researchers. At the same time, team workers formed a cooperative and coordinated family service mechanism to reflect the professional values and practice capabilities. Conclusions: The intervention program was based on the promotion of factors for the caregiver, linking to environmental protective factors, and the stabilization of mental and neurological symptoms of dementia patients, thereby enhancing the response capabilities of home caregivers while meeting the patient’s care needs in life. It is a tool that can effectively be used for support and empowerment in this population.
Funder
Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
Subject
Health Information Management,Health Informatics,Health Policy,Leadership and Management
Reference44 articles.
1. The Global Dementia Observatory Reference Guide,2018
2. World Alzheimer Report 2015.The Global Impact of Dementia: An Analysis of Prevalence, Incidence, Cost and Trends
https://www.alzint.org/resource/world-alzheimer-report-2015/
3. Dementia Friendly Taiwan 2025,2020
4. World Alzheimer Report 2020: Design, Dignity, Dementia: Dementia-related design and the built environment Volume I;Fleming,2020
5. Evaluating anticipatory grief as a moderator of life and marital satisfaction for spousal caregivers of individuals with dementia
Cited by
3 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献