Resourcefulness Training for Dementia Caregivers: Establishing Fidelity

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Caregiver Support

Background:

• Dementia caregiving is associated with significant stress, negatively impacting caregiver health.
• Resourcefulness training (RT) may mitigate caregiver stress by enhancing coping skills.
• Establishing intervention fidelity is crucial before evaluating RT effectiveness for dementia caregivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the intervention fidelity of journaling and voice recording as methods for practicing resourcefulness skills.
• To determine if offering a choice between journaling and voice recording impacts RT intervention fidelity.
• To assess the impact of method choice on caregiver stress and skill utilization.

Main Methods:

• A pilot trial involving 63 women dementia caregivers.
• Intervention involved resourcefulness training (RT) using either a journal or voice recorder.
• Caregivers were assigned to either a choice condition (selecting their practice method) or a random condition.

Main Results:

• Resourcefulness Scale scores were comparable between journal and recorder methods.
• Caregivers in the choice condition reported higher Resourcefulness Scale scores than those in the random condition.
• Patterns of RT skill use were similar across both method choice and practice method conditions.

Conclusions:

• The resourcefulness training (RT) intervention demonstrates implementation fidelity.
• Allowing dementia caregivers to choose their practice method (journal or voice recorder) supports intervention fidelity.
• Choice in practice method may enhance the effectiveness of resourcefulness training for caregivers.