Assisted Vacations for Men With Dementia and Their Caregiving Spouses: Evaluation of Health-Related Effects

Abstract

In this study, we conducted the first evaluation of assisted vacations for persons with dementia and their caregivers in the field of caregiving research. We used a quasi-experimental, two-group, repeated measures design with two measuring times (preintervention, 3-month follow-up) to examine whether assisted vacations lead to a reduction in physical complaints and symptoms of depression in family caregivers. The sample consisted of 29 caregiving wives who were providing at-home care for husbands suffering from dementia. We selected the participants in the control group from a waiting list. Outcome measurements were made with the Giessen Subjective Complaints List and the Beck Depression Inventory. The overall emotional and physical states of the participants in the intervention group showed significant improvements in comparison with those of the control group 3 months after the first interview. The results show that assisted vacations can have both immediate and longer lasting positive effects on participants' health. Assisted vacations can therefore be a way of diminishing the risk of stress disorders for caregiving spouses. Making assisted vacations available to people with dementia and their caregivers is a worthwhile goal for community support facilities working to reduce caregiver burden.