Abstract

Objectives

Examine the efficacy of a telehealth-administered intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia.

Method

Two hundred sixteen caregivers engaged in the FAMILIES intervention over six months, either virtually (n = 59) or in-person (n = 157). The telehealth protocol (TeleFAMILIES) was conducted online. Caregivers engaged in six sessions, including individual and family/group counseling, ad hoc counseling, and had access to support groups. Sessions included person-centered assessments of caregivers’ physical, emotional, social needs, and current support networks. Primary outcome variables were change in total score between baseline and completion on the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R), and the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC).

Results

TeleFAMILIES caregivers reported significant reductions in ZBI (p = .002) and CESD-R scores (p < .001). RMBPC reaction scores significantly improved (p = .02) and improved more than in-person caregivers’ scores (F (3, 119) = 2.71, p = .048, partial eta² = .06). For those classified as having a higher risk of depression at baseline, a significantly larger portion TeleFAMILIES caregivers converted to a classification of lower depression risk at completion (p = .02).

Conclusion

Compared to the in-person group, TeleFAMILIES caregivers experienced the same, if not greater improvements in perceived burden, depressive symptomatology, and their ability to manage their reactions to behavioral symptoms of dementia. The strengths of TeleFAMILIES are the convenience of telehealth services and its mitigation of barriers to care.

中文翻译：

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评估 TeleFAMILIES 的功效：针对社区痴呆症患者护理人员的远程医疗干预

摘要

目标

检查远程医疗干预对痴呆症患者护理人员的效果。

方法

216 名护理人员在六个月内参与了家庭干预，无论是虚拟的 ( n  = 59) 还是面对面的 ( n  = 157)。远程医疗协议 (TeleFAMILIES) 是在线进行的。照顾者参与了六次会议，包括个人和家庭/团体咨询、临时咨询，并可以使用支持小组。会议包括以人为本的对照顾者的身体、情感、社会需求和当前支持网络的评估。主要结果变量是 Zarit 负担访谈 (ZBI)、流行病学研究中心抑郁量表修订版 (CESD-R) 和修订后的记忆和行为问题清单 (RMBPC) 在基线和完成之间总分的变化。

结果

TeleFAMILIES 护理人员报告说 ZBI ( p = .002) 和 CESD-R 分数 ( p < .001) 显着降低。RMBPC 反应分数显着提高 ( p = .02)，并且比亲自照顾者的分数提高更多 (F (3, 119) = 2.71, p = .048, 部分 eta ² = .06)。对于那些在基线时被归类为具有较高抑郁风险的人，很大一部分 TeleFAMILIES 护理人员在完成时转换为较低抑郁风险的分类 ( p = .02)。

结论

与面对面组相比，TeleFAMILIES 护理人员在感知负担、抑郁症状以及他们管理对痴呆行为症状反应的能力方面经历了相同甚至更大的改善。TeleFAMILIES 的优势在于远程医疗服务的便利性和减少护理障碍。