None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The primary objective of this project is to examine the response of isolated rural carers for older people with dementia to a videoconference based peer support and information program. Will participation in the program improve self-efficacy, quality of life, and mental health? Secondary objectives are to develop a videoconference based peer support program for isolated rural carers for older people with dementia, using a co-design approach; and to demonstrate the feasibility of videoconference technology for enhancing social support to family caregivers in their homes. This project will combine the evidence from two recent research projects to collaboratively co-design and evaluate a facilitated videoconference peer support and information program to carers of people with dementia within rural areas. Carers will be recruited through local community health and care providers. Program development will focus on using an information sharing approach to facilitate social interaction. The project will use off-the-shelf technology which will be more accessible than specialised bespoke solutions that are currently popular in this area of research. A mixed methods repeated measures randomised wait list design will be used to evaluate the project. The primary outcomes are self-efficacy, quality of life, and mental health. Secondary outcomes are perceived social support and user satisfaction with the technology and intention to continue videoconference interaction.
Interventions
The core activity of the intervention is a series of 6 x one-hour interactive videoconference (VC) sessions with carers of people living with dementia, one per week for 6 weeks, facilitated by an experienced VC facilitator, with over 20 years’ experience working in the community. Up to 6 participants, per series of 6 sessions, will be connected by VC, to develop a virtual support group. Carers will participate from their own homes. An information sharing approach will be used to facilitate soci
The core activity of the intervention is a series of 6 x one-hour interactive videoconference (VC) sessions with carers of people living with dementia, one per week for 6 weeks, facilitated by an experienced VC facilitator, with over 20 years’ experience working in the community. Up to 6 participants, per series of 6 sessions, will be connected by VC, to develop a virtual support group. Carers will participate from their own homes. An information sharing approach will be used to facilitate social interaction. The materials for the interactive sessions will be developed using a co-design approach, whereby, prior to the main intervention, one group of 6 volunteers who care for people living with dementia will share their stories and perceptions about how to connect isolated rural carers. The materials will also draw on the currently available resources (such as those from Dementia Australia and Carers Australia). The program facilitator will maintain regular contact with participants in the VC sessions, which will support engagement. If people drop out of the program, they will be followed up by phone to ascertain the reason, and to encourage reengagement. Attendance at group sessions, and content delivered, will be monitored by the group facilitator and by the VC software, and all sessions will be recorded, to allow measurement of the fidelity of the intervention. A focus of the project is the use ubiquitous off-the-shelf technology rather than specialised solutions currently popular in this research area. Tablet or desktop computers will be the VC human interaction interface, coupled with commercial VC software, such as Zoom. Zoom provides group VC with quality that can adapt to different Internet connections (NBN vs ADSL vs 4G); which is very important in rural and regional locations. Particular IT issues will be simplifying use of the VC software, automating data collection, and providing remote support to participants.
Sponsors
Professor Lynne Parkinson
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Participants will be carers of older people with dementia residing in geographically isolated areas of Queensland, Australia with access to connection to the internet.
Exclusion criteria
Under 18 years
Outcome results
None listed