Adapting the Namaste Care Program for Use with Caregivers of Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Moderate to Advanced Dementia: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Abstract

Family/friend caregivers are highly involved in supporting older adults with dementia who are 65 years of age or older with daily activities, especially when these older adults with dementia are living at home. There is a need for psychosocial interventions for caregivers of older adults with moderate to advanced dementia, as most interventions focus on persons at earlier stages. Namaste Care is a psychosocial, multisensory program intended to enhance quality of life for people with advanced dementia and their caregivers; however, it has not yet been adapted for use in a home setting. In this study, caregivers collaborated in adapting Namaste Care during workshops so that it could be delivered by caregivers of older adults with moderate to advanced dementia at home. Key findings were that Namaste Care resonated with the daily activities of caregivers, but that the intervention required modifications to ensure that it could be tailored to the needs and realities of caregivers and persons with dementia.