Optimising support for Chinese carers of people with dementia by embedding iSupport in routine care services

This is a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial to (1) determine the effectiveness of the ‘Tailored iSupport’ intervention for carers and people with dementia and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation strategies applied to embed the ‘Tailored iSupport’ into the routine services of aged care organisations in real-world settings. The study will also explore the experiences of carers, frontline staff and facilitators in the project. The interventions in the study are outlined in the following: Carers in the ‘Tailored iSupport’ group will be assigned to a trained facilitator, who is a health professional or social care professional with expertise in dementia care. The facilitators will undergo 3 x 2 hours online workshops over a 2-week period and the training sessions will be provided 6 weeks prior to initiation of the intervention. The training sessions will be relative to delivering the intervention including: 1) Introduction to the project; 2) being an effective facilitator and 3) recruitment, data collection and outcome measures used in the project. The CIs in the project will provide the training sessions. Moreover, facilitators will participate in a 30-minute online debrief and coaching session every 2 weeks with the CIs in the project during the intervention period to ensure their facilitation alights with the intended project outcomes and to help them with problem-solving skill development. The facilitators will provide individualised support to carers by engaging them in: 1) relevant iSupport modules: The facilitator will assess carers’ individualised needs in the program in an individual meeting lasting 45-60 minutes 2 weeks prior to the intervention using the ‘Risk Appraisal Measure’ (Adapted from Czaja et al. 2009). The facilitator will recommend learning modules, for example ‘Module 5 Dealing with changed behaviours’ when the carer reports sudden/worrisome changes in care recipient’s memory and mood. 2) monthly peer support group meetings lasting about 30-45 minutes (online or face-to-face): The meeting will include up to 8 carers. 3) weekly text messages extracted from iSupport to target carers’ learning needs; 4) resources/services tailored to their needs: Carers are encouraged to make individual appointments with their facilitator to request assistance to access and utilise resources/services when their care recipients experience changes, for example in the case of sudden changes in behaviours, the facilitator will recommend GP visit to identify the causes or refer them to Dementia Support Australia (in Australia’s study sites only). Facilitators will maintain a portfolio to record all contact instances with carers throughout the intervention period. 5) The facilitators will provide monthly staff training on iSupport during the intervention period using the existing paid staff development time, provide practical support for frontline staff in the workplace regarding partnership with carers. The intervention will last 6 months.