Effectiveness of self-management skills enhancing rehabilitation on dementia patients and their spousal caregivers.

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

According to the literature, the dementia families feel that they receive too little support and information to solve their concerns related to dementia and they often have feelings of isolation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether self-management enhancing group intervention has effectiveness on dementia patients and spousal caregivers. 160 dementia patients and their spouses will be recruited from memory clinics for the randomized controlled trial. The intervention will be arranged in groups of 10 caregivers and 10 patients separately. The intervention contents will be based on closed group dynamics and on the preferences of the participants. It aims to empower participants, promot their problem solving skills, self-efficacy and mastery in their life. The primary outcome measures are dementia patients' (15D) and spousal caregivers (RAND-36) quality of life and caregiers sense of competence (SCI). Secondary outcomes will be e.g. the use and costs of health care services of home-dwelling dementia patients and their spouses.

Marja‐Liisa Laakkonen, Hannu Kautiainen, Eeva Hölttä, Niina Savikko, Reijo S. Tilvis et al. (7 authors)

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society2016-04-0199 citations

10.1111/jgs.14055

Psychosocial group intervention to enhance self-management skills of people with dementia and their caregivers: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Laakkonen ML, Hölttä EH, Savikko N, Strandberg TE, Suominen M, Pitkälä KH.

2012-08-0713 citations

10.1186/1745-6215-13-133

Interventions

Both caregivers and dementia patients in the intervention arm will be offered a group-based rehabilitation concurrently but in separate groups of 10 persons. These groups will consist only caregivers and only patients. They will meet four hours in a day center once a week over a total of 8 weeks. There are two professional group facilitators in each group. The facilitators have received thorough training. Intervention will empower older people by encouraging them to bring up their wishes and ai

Both caregivers and dementia patients in the intervention arm will be offered a group-based rehabilitation concurrently but in separate groups of 10 persons. These groups will consist only caregivers and only patients. They will meet four hours in a day center once a week over a total of 8 weeks. There are two professional group facilitators in each group. The facilitators have received thorough training. Intervention will empower older people by encouraging them to bring up their wishes and aims of group work. The contents of the group discussions will be based on the preferences of the participants. The aim is to enhance agency of older people and their self-management skills. Intervention will take advantage of group dynamics, peer support. The group facilitators will make one home-visit before the intervention to get to know the participants and to encourage them to express their needs and hopes for the intervention. Group intervention will be objective-oriented.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Educational / counselling / training

Masking

Open (masking not used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

0 to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

No

Inclusion criteria

-Finnish speaking -spouse is living in the same address -volunteer

Exclusion criteria

-unable to walk by themselves (with or without a walking aid) - unable to hear a regular speech (with or without a hearing aid), - terminal phase disease

Outcome results