Effects of e-Health Training and Social Support Interventions for Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia—A Narrative Review

Esther Sitges-Maciá,Beatriz Bonete-López,Javier Oltra-Cucarella,Antonio Sánchez-Cabaco

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157728

Abstract

Along with the burden commonly experienced by informal caregivers (ICs) of people with dementia (PwD), associated with the progressive decline that accompanies dementia, the lockdown due to the public health crisis has had a great negative impact on the emotional wellbeing, physical health, and social relationships of ICs. Support interventions through telemedicine represent an opportunity for ICs to learn the skills required for the care and maintenance of social networks. In this work, a narrative review of the effects of e-health training and social support interventions was carried out. A literature search was conducted using the ProQuest, Ovid, and Scopus databases. Information regarding social support (SS), psychological interventions, and training for the management of medications and behavioral changes was extracted. One hundred and nine studies were included in this review. Forums and training platforms were the main tools for ICs. The most effective platforms to improve SS include the participation of both ICs and health professionals. However, no significant improvements in objective caring skills were identified. Platforms developed specifically for ICs should be based in tools that ICs are familiar with, because many ICs have not yet incorporated Information and Communication Technologies in many activities of their daily lives. Education in the digitalization to ICs of PwD should be one of the priority objectives in telehealth interventions.

Highlights

The increase in the number of people over the age of 60 is a sociodemographic reality on a global scale, revealing a large population heterogeneous in their social, emotional, and health characteristics [1]
The surveillance system was built upon the needs that informal caregivers (ICs) reported on personal interviews, Zwierenberg et al [35] did not provide data on how the expertise of ICs was improved with regard to facing problems related to medication or behavioral changes in people with dementia (PwD)
Surveillance technologies might be a good add-on in a caregiving situation to maintain the independence of PwD living alone; these systems do not provide educational resources to ICs to face difficulties that might arise in caregiving situations

Summary

Introduction

The increase in the number of people over the age of 60 is a sociodemographic reality on a global scale, revealing a large population heterogeneous in their social, emotional, and health characteristics [1]. The lockdown and the resulting restrictions have increased the vulnerability in the social and cognitive spheres of an important group of elderly people with pathologies, besides worsening their neuropsychiatric symptoms [3] The latter has had an important impact on the emotional burden perceived by informal caregivers (ICs) [4], with clinical consequences such as high rates of depression [5]. In the field of telemedicine, online support platforms for ICs of PwD have been in development for more than 20 years, given the limited time available to ICs and the mobility limitations that PwD may have These platforms represent an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and strategies required to understand and develop the task of caring for PwD, and to establish and maintain social contact with health professionals and other family members or caregivers living in similar circumstances. Their effectiveness has been shown for both patients through computerized stimulation programs [8] and their caregivers in dimensions such as resilience [9]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion