A Community-Based Approach to Refining the Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) Intervention

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Arts-based Interventions

Background:

• Interventions for dementia care partners often address behavioral symptoms.
• Care partner engagement is linked to improved outcomes.
• Optimal methods for enhancing care partner engagement require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of collaborating with care partners to refine the Enhancing Active Caregiver Training (EnACT) intervention.
• To enhance the feasibility and effectiveness of an arts-based intervention for dementia care partners.

Main Methods:

• Iterative focus groups with nine care partners of persons living with dementia.
• Analysis of focus group data using structural, descriptive, and pattern coding.
• Refinement of the EnACT intervention based on care partner feedback.

Main Results:

• Video vignette topics were narrowed, and confusing elements were removed.
• Intervention accessibility was enhanced.
• Facilitator training was added, and overall intervention feasibility was improved.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative refinement with care partners is crucial for developing feasible and effective interventions.
• The revised EnACT intervention is better prepared for future testing.
• Arts-based approaches hold promise for supporting dementia care partners.