Training families to provide care: effects on people with dementia

This paper addresses four questions concerning family training in dementia care: (1) What do we know about what works? (2) How do we know it? (3) What do we now need to know? (4) How should we go about trying to find this out? In addition, it provides some introductory information on the nature of family caregivers in dementia and the phenomenology of caregiver burden and behavioral problems in dementia, often the focus of family training. Training families to provide care to dementia patients has a long clinical history. In recent years, the amount and popularity of this kind of information has grown exponentially, as is evident in the proliferation of books, training materials and informational handouts. Even video and world wide web technology is now used to educate caregivers. Over a decade ago, reports showed that caregivers were able to learn specific behavioral techniques and successfully reduce problematic behaviors. More recently, controlled trials have suggested the effectiveness of caregiver training programs in reducing behavioral problems or delaying institutionalization in patients with dementia. There is much still unknown concerning family training in dementia care. Additional controlled clinical trials are needed, as are additional studies to understand the broader factors known to influence effective care, such as patient and caregiver physical health or family and social supports.