Coaching in self-efficacy improves care responses, health and well-being in dementia carers: a pre/post-test/follow-up study.

Lynn Chenoweth,Georgene Mcneill,Jane Stein-Parbury,Beverley Zaratan,Yun-Hee Jeon,Danielle White

doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1410-x

Abstract

BackgroundMaintaining the health and well-being of family carers of people with dementia is vital, given their potential for experiencing burden associated with the role. The study aimed to help dementia carers develop self-efficacy, be less hassled by the caring role and improve their health and well-being with goal-directed behaviour, by participating in an eight module carer coaching program.MethodsThe study used mixed methods in a pre/post-test/follow-up design over 24 months, with assignment of consented dementia carers to either individualised (n = 16) or group coaching (n = 32), or usual carer support services (n = 43), depending on preference. Care-giving self-efficacy and hassles, carer health, well-being and goal-directed behaviours were assessed over time. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare changes over time and the effects of coaching on carer self-efficacy, hassles and health, using the Univariate General Linear Model (GLM).ResultsAll carers were hassled by many aspects of caring at baseline. Participants receiving coaching reported non-significant improvements in most areas of self-efficacy for caring, hassles associated with caring and self-reported health at post-test and follow-up, than did carers receiving usual carer support. Group coaching had greater success in helping carers to achieve their goals and to seek help from informal and formal support networks and services.ConclusionThe study outcomes were generally positive, but need to be interpreted cautiously, given some methodological limitations. It has been shown, however, that health staff can assist dementia carers to develop self-efficacy in better managing their family member’s limitations and behaviour, seek help from others and attend to their health. Teaching carers to use goal-directed behaviour may help them achieve these outcomes.

Highlights

Maintaining the health and well-being of family carers of people with dementia is vital, given their potential for experiencing burden associated with the role
Study drop out occurred by carer choice when the caring role ceased in the home setting because of the death of the people with dementia (PWD) (n = 12), or the PWD’s transition to an assisted care facility (n = 16) (Fig. 1)
Since group learning was more successful in assisting carers to achieve their goals, and superior to non-coaching support services, group carer support is recommended

Summary

Introduction

Maintaining the health and well-being of family carers of people with dementia is vital, given their potential for experiencing burden associated with the role. The study aimed to help dementia carers develop self-efficacy, be less hassled by the caring role and improve their health and well-being with goal-directed behaviour, by participating in an eight module carer coaching program. Chenoweth et al BMC Health Services Research (2016) 16:166 as the Alzheimer’s Disease Associations, along with these nations’ policies on ageing, stress that family carers’ needs must be identified and addressed in helping them to continue this role [8,9,10,11,12,13]. Numerous studies have reported links between functional impairment and disturbed behaviour in people with dementia and stress-related health issues in carers [18,19,20, 22], with stress being higher in coresident carers [23]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion