Rural Dementia Caregivers and Technology: What Is the Evidence?

Abstract

Caregivers of adults with dementia often experience burden and depression as a result of their intensive caregiving activities. Dementia caregivers in rural communities experience additional barriers of large distances from health care providers and/or limited numbers of health care providers, which may further exacerbate burden. Technology has been identified as a platform for reducing dementia caregiver burden and stress, although the extent to which technologically based interventions have been tested with rural dementia caregivers is unknown. The current study involved a systematic review of technologically based interventions to assess the geography of sample populations, scope of interventions, and study outcomes. Of 8,348 articles identified and screened, 30 articles met eligibility guidelines. The current review found that few studies identified their sample population as living in rural communities. In addition, studies were more likely to report improved psychosocial outcomes of intervention groups, with few reporting positive effects on caregiving skills/self-efficacy. Implications for future research are discussed. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2018; 11(4):216-224.].