The Evidence of Efficacy in the Translation of the Legacy Intervention Family Enactment (LIFE) (S718)

Abstract

1.Recognize LIFE as a translational life review intervention implemented by older adult volunteers with community-dwelling individuals with serious illness and their caregivers.2.Identify positive outcomes of LIFE among individuals with serious illness, their caregivers, and the volunteer interventionists.3.Identify strategies to further the access of meaningful life review interventions by community-dwelling individuals with serious illness and their caregivers. Life review/reminiscence interventions are increasingly seen as useful for older adults and those nearing end of life to identify unresolved conflicts/issues, examine accomplishments, and leave lasting legacies for future generations. LIFE explored the experience and effectiveness of Retired Senior Volunteers in the implementation of a combined reminiscence and creative legacy activity intervention with palliative care patients and their family caregivers living in the community or residential care (ie, assisted living, senior apartments). In this translational study, six older adult volunteers worked with intervention patient/family caregiver dyads (N = 17) to implement a three session life review/legacy intervention. Physical and emotional outcomes for these dyads were compared to a minimal contact control group (N = 14). Outcome data revealed that 64% of baseline participants at Time 1 and 86% of Time 1 participants at 2-month follow-up were retained. In comparison with the control group, intervention patients experienced a decrease in emotional symptoms (F[1, 25] = 6.18, p = .02, partial eta-squared = .20), burden (F[1, 25] = 4.81, p = .04, partial eta-squared = .16), and an increase in forgiveness (F[1,25] = 5.24, p = .031; partial eta-squared = .17) while intervention caregivers experienced increased meaning in life (F[1,25] = 6.20, p = .02; partial eta-squared = .24). Volunteer interventionists also reported satisfaction with their involvement in the project. This intervention showed preliminary evidence of positive outcomes for patients and family caregivers supporting its successful translation to the community setting.