Managing Carer Stress: An Evaluation of a Stress Management Programme for Carers of People with Dementia

Abstract

This article examines the effect of carer stress management using the Carers' Checklist (Hodgson et al 1998) as a measure of outcome. Pre-course and post-course questionnaires were used with carers, identified by health and social services professionals, who agreed to attend a structured stress management course. Seven out of the 10 identified carers, who resided in the West Dorset area, participated. Only one carer's wife was a resident in a nursing home; the others were caring actively at home. The main measures of outcome were the burden of care, including social, financial and physical demands in terms of the carers' own experience, and their level of understanding of stress management techniques. The carers who attended demonstrated a better awareness and understanding of stress and its management following the course. Positive measures of outcome were also determined by a decrease in the carers' rating in frequency of dementia-related problems, carer burden of dementia-related problems and overall carer burden. The findings confirm that structured stress management can reduce carer burden and offer better coping strategies through raising carers' awareness and understanding.