Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Community-based dementia care is preferred but can burden informal care partners (CPs).
• The impact of support services on CP burden and dementia patient behavioral concerns is not fully understood.
• Informal CPs face increased risks due to caregiving demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize evidence on the effects of support services/interventions on CP burden.
• To evaluate the impact of these services on care recipient behavioral concerns.
• To identify effective support strategies for community-based dementia care.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review of studies published between 2014 and September 2024.
• Searched PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE using keywords related to dementia caregiving, support services, CP burden, and behavioral symptoms.
• Included original studies on subjective CP burden and behavioral symptoms; excluded non-US or facility-based studies.

Main Results:

• 12 studies met inclusion criteria, featuring quasi-experimental (7) and RCT (5) designs.
• Support services included care management, behavioral training, psychoeducational programs, and support groups.
• Seven studies reported reduced CP burden; four showed reduced behavioral concerns. In-person interventions were more effective.

Conclusions:

• Support services, particularly in-person interventions, can alleviate CP burden and behavioral issues in dementia care.
• Further dyadic research is needed to optimize support for dementia patients and their CPs in community settings.
• Evidence supports the integration of targeted support services into community-based dementia care models.