An Online Program for Caregivers of Persons Living With Dementia: Lessons Learned. (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kovaleva, Mariya; Blevins, Lindsey; Griffiths, Patricia C.; Hepburn, Kenneth
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied gerontology. Volume 38:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 159
• Page End: 182
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: caregivers -- dementia -- Alzheimer's disease -- psychoeducation -- online; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 362.6
• DOI: 10.1177/0733464817705958
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0733-4648

Abstract

The population of individuals living with dementia and their caregivers and the need to provide caregiver training will increase in the next several decades. In-person caregiver educational programs are delimited by logistical and resource boundaries that could be overcome with online programs. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the acceptability and ways to improve the content and delivery of an online 7-week psychoeducational pilot program—Tele-Savvy. Thirty-six caregivers who completed the pilot were interviewed about their experience with Tele-Savvy and their suggestions for its improvement. Conventional content analysis allowed for the identification of three themes: barriers and facilitators to establishing rapport with participants and instructors, content enrichment and diversification, and structural refinement. These lessons learned directly from the caregivers provide evidence to guide the refinement of analogous online interventions and highlight the need for their wider availability.