Perceived needs for mobile interventions among Spanish language Latino family caregivers of persons living with dementia

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundSupportive and caregiver skills programs for Spanish language Latino caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (SLDCs) have been developed and researched primarily using in‐person delivery. However, in‐person interventions are limited by scalability constraints due to barriers such as time, cost of travel to intervention sites, and COVID‐19 containment measures. There is a tremendous need for caregiver interventions for SLDCs that can be delivered remotely by smartphone, the most accessible means for SLDCs to connect to the internet. A mobile application combining caregiver skills literacy, stress reduction tools, and chat‐based support groups might help fill this gap. However, whether SLDCs perceive a need for such an application is unclear. This research aimed to assess perceived needs and preferences for mobile intervention among SLDCsMethodWe conducted two virtual focus groups with 12 SLDCs (aged 37 to 87, 83% female) from the Greater Boston area to determine preferences for smartphone‐based intervention. Participants answered semi‐structured questions during the group and completed questionnaires individually regarding smartphone application usage. Topics included needs for caregiver skills, relaxation tools, and chat‐based social support. Data analysis was conducted with an inductive and deductive mixed‐methods approach.ResultOpinions regarding the potential utility of a smartphone application that would combine caregiver skills, relaxation tools, and a smartphone chat for SLDCs were positive and demonstrated that such an application would serve unmet needs. Although only one participant had previously used a caregiver literacy app, all SLDCs expressed a desire to receive caregiver skills resources via mobile application. While just two (16.7%) had utilized a relaxation app, six (50%) felt that having access to relaxation instructions would be beneficial. Finally, an unmet social support need was identified, which caregivers felt would be possible to meet through chatroom‐based functionalities. Several participants felt the chat room would require facilitation by someone with expertise in dementia caregiving.ConclusionA mobile intervention could help meet the needs of SLDCs for caregiver skills, relaxation training, and social support. Further studies using participatory research should focus on the development and feasibility of a mobile application that provides these features.