Are caregiving courses useful? An empirical study from Antalya, Turkey

Abstract

In 2008, the National Social and Applied Gerontology Society (NSAGS) of Turkey held free caregiving courses for women, caring seniors, as a part of European Union (EU) programs. This course drew great attention and participation was common. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of this course on participants and non-participants of this course. The test-sheet and an envelope with a stamp on it, were sent to the registered addresses of the women who applied for the course. One hundred twenty-four of total 276 questionnaire returned. The average age was 39.4 ± 9.6 years (±S.D.) and the level of education was low. Most of participants (80.6%) lived with the elderly in the same house; 83.9% of them also have a job besides their caring function. Most of the participants (82.1%) were still caring for their patients. The findings presented here are based on the comparison of two groups (i.e., caregivers who attended and who did not attend the course). After caregiving training, participants felt more an “inner peace” when caring for their elderly ( p ≤ 0.05). Participants (39.5%) of the course felt more efficient concerning their duty as caregiver. Non-attenders to the course made more negative statements concerning their concentration to their caregiving functioning (55.2% vs. 40.7%) ( p ≤ 0.05). Perception on stress showed better results in the group of participants, who attended the course ( p < 0.05). More attenders (43%) of the course believed they could cope better with stress ( p ≤ 0.05). This study showed that caregiving courses might be useful for caregivers of elderly people. The rapid increase of elderly people in need of care, will show a high demand for qualified caregivers. The NSAGS fulfilled an important duty by organizing these caregiving courses. This is an important signal showing that national gerontological organizations in Turkey might address the important needs concerning demographic aging in community.