Piloting a Dementia Caregiver Intervention in a Primary Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Dementia caregiving imposes significant burdens.
• Support groups are crucial for caregiver well-being.
• Primary care settings can facilitate access to support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a 6-week, theory-based dementia caregiver support group.
• To assess the group's efficacy in a primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental design with 22 participants.
• Baseline and 6-week assessments of preparedness, strain, and depressive symptoms.
• Care recipient's neuropsychiatric symptoms and participant satisfaction were measured.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in caregiver preparedness scores observed.
• No significant changes in caregiver strain or depressive symptoms.
• High participant satisfaction with the support group.

Conclusions:

• The 6-week support group shows potential as a caregiver intervention in primary care.
• Findings underscore the value of caregiver support for individuals with dementia within primary care settings.