Quality-of-Life Outcomes Among Alzheimer’s Disease Family Caregivers Following Community-Based Intervention

Abstract

This study sought to determine how community-based interventions such as adult day programs and caregiver support groups affected the quality of life (QOL) of caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease clients. The authors hypothesized that using community-based interventions would increase the QOL of caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease clients. They conducted a pilot study employing a cross-sectional comparative design involving 62 caregivers in the Durham region, Ontario, Canada. Individuals were recruited at five adult day programs and at six caregiver support groups, involving primary data collection consisting of a self-report questionnaire and a 13-item QOL scale. The authors’ findings show that caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease clients who used community-based interventions enjoyed similar levels of QOL as caregivers of non-Alzheimer’s disease clients. These findings suggest that community-based interventions may be beneficial and should target the multiple needs of caregivers, including their knowledge of community resources and coping strategies.