Superior School of Health, Vale do Ave. North Polytechnic Institute of Health, Nova de Famalicão, Portugal.
Portuguese Society of Mental Health Nursing Board Member, Porto, Portugal.
Scand J Caring Sci. 2021 Mar;35(1):86-95. doi: 10.1111/scs.12821. Epub 2020 Jan 27.
The aim of this article was to present the preliminary results of a training programme for family caregivers of people with dementia at an early to moderate stage living at home - 'Living Together With Dementia'. In this randomised controlled trial, 27 family caregivers who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the neurology outpatient consultation clinic of a hospital in the north of Portugal and randomised into two groups (control and experimental) between October 2015 and March 2016. The programme 'Living Together With Dementia' was applied to the participants of the experimental group. The strategies used, overload, difficulties and satisfaction of the caregivers were assessed at three different stages (at the beginning and end of the intervention, as well as at follow-up). For the data analysis, quantitative parametric measures were applied. The Health Ethical Commission of the Hospital Centre approved the study, and its protocol and Helsinki Declaration ethical principles were considered throughout the process. In the final assessment, an improvement in the overload and difficulties was confirmed, as was an increase in the caregivers' satisfaction level and an improvement in coping/problem-solving strategies. In the follow-up stage, the results tended to revert towards those of the initial assessment. The programme 'Living Together With Dementia' appeared to be a major contribution enabling family caregivers of people with dementia, although there is a need to develop an efficacy study using a more substantial sample. The programme contributed to a reduction in the overload and difficulties borne by the family caregivers of people with dementia at an early to moderate stage living at home and to increased caregiver satisfaction.
本文旨在介绍一项针对居家轻度至中度痴呆症患者家庭照顾者的培训计划——“共同生活与痴呆症”的初步结果。在这项随机对照试验中,我们从葡萄牙北部一家医院的神经科门诊咨询诊所招募了 27 名符合纳入标准的家庭照顾者,并于 2015 年 10 月至 2016 年 3 月期间将他们随机分为两组(对照组和实验组)。实验组的参与者接受了“共同生活与痴呆症”培训计划。在三个不同阶段(干预开始和结束时以及随访时)评估了照顾者的策略使用情况、负担过重、困难和满意度。数据分析采用定量参数测量。医院中心的健康伦理委员会批准了该研究,整个过程都考虑了其方案和赫尔辛基宣言的伦理原则。在最终评估中,我们确认了负担过重和困难程度的改善,以及照顾者满意度水平的提高和应对/解决问题策略的改善。在随访阶段,结果趋于恢复到初始评估时的状态。“共同生活与痴呆症”培训计划似乎是一项重要的贡献,使居家轻度至中度痴呆症患者的家庭照顾者能够,尽管需要使用更大的样本进行功效研究。该计划有助于减轻居家轻度至中度痴呆症患者家庭照顾者的负担过重和困难,并提高照顾者的满意度。