Resourcefulness Training for Dementia Caregivers: Establishing Fidelity

Providing care for an elder with dementia can produce extreme stress that adversely affects caregiver health. Learning to be resourceful, which involves practicing resourcefulness skills using a journal or voice recorder, may reduce caregiver stress. However, before testing the effectiveness of journaling and voice recording as resourcefulness training (RT) practice methods, intervention fidelity should first be established. This pilot trial with 63 women dementia caregivers examined the fidelity of journaling and voice recording and whether allowing a choice between the methods affected RT intervention fidelity. Following RT, Resourcefulness Scale scores were similar for journal and recorder methods but higher for caregivers in the choice versus random condition. Patterns of RT skill use documented in journals or recordings were similar for choice and random conditions and for journal and recorder methods. The results support the implementation fidelity of RT that allows caregivers to choose a method to reinforce their resourcefulness skills.