Lily D Xiao1, Sue McKechnie2, Lesley Jeffers3, Anita De Bellis4, Elizabeth Beattie5, Lee-Fay Low6, Brian Draper7, Petrea Messent8, Anne Margriet Pot9. 1. College of Nursing and Health Sciences, 1065Flinders University, Australia. 2. Executive Manager Community Services, 280384Resthaven Incorporated, Adelaide, Australia. 3. Interim Director Corporate Administration Services, Women's and Children's Health Network, SA Health, Government of South Australia, Australia. 4. College of Nursing and Health Sciences, 1065Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. 5. Queensland Dementia Training Study Centre, School of Nursing, 1969Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 6. Faculty of Health Sciences, 4538University of Sydney, Australia. 7. Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Prince of Wales Hospital, 7800University of NSW, Australia. 8. 110648Dementia Australia, Canberra, Australia. 9. Department of Clinical Psychology, 1190Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In Australia, informal caregivers (family, friends and neighbours) play a crucial role in supporting people with dementia to remain at home. Within the community aged care policy, informal caregivers are acknowledged as assisting with managing care. However, they usually receive very limited dementia care education and training to support them in their role. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed iSupport for Dementia, a comprehensive online dementia education and skill training programme, to address the gap in supporting informal caregivers. AIM: The aim of the study was to identify stakeholders' perspectives regarding adapting the WHO iSupport for use by informal caregivers of people with dementia in Australia. METHODS: An interpretive description study design was used. Data were collected in focus groups with informal caregivers and care staff of dementia and aged care service providers conducted in May-July 2018. A thematic analysis was utilised to analyse data and identify findings. RESULTS: In total, 16 informal caregivers and 20 care staff participated in the study. Five themes were identified. First, informal caregivers perceived iSupport as an opportunity to provide an online one-stop shop to meet their education needs and their needs to manage care services. Second, both informal caregivers and care staff believed that an integrated caregiver network moderated by a health professional was much needed to enable informal caregivers to share learning experiences and enhance social support. Third, both informal caregivers and care staff strongly suggested that dementia and aged care service providers had a role to play in promoting the iSupport. Fourth, informal caregivers were concerned about the time commitment to participate in the iSupport programme. Finally, informal caregivers expected the iSupport to be user-friendly. CONCLUSION: Stakeholders perceived the adaptation of the WHO iSupport in Australia would strengthen informal caregiver education and optimise support for informal caregivers.
BACKGROUND: In Australia, informal caregivers (family, friends and neighbours) play a crucial role in supporting people with dementia to remain at home. Within the community aged care policy, informal caregivers are acknowledged as assisting with managing care. However, they usually receive very limited dementia care education and training to support them in their role. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed iSupport for Dementia, a comprehensive online dementia education and skill training programme, to address the gap in supporting informal caregivers. AIM: The aim of the study was to identify stakeholders' perspectives regarding adapting the WHO iSupport for use by informal caregivers of people with dementia in Australia. METHODS: An interpretive description study design was used. Data were collected in focus groups with informal caregivers and care staff of dementia and aged care service providers conducted in May-July 2018. A thematic analysis was utilised to analyse data and identify findings. RESULTS: In total, 16 informal caregivers and 20 care staff participated in the study. Five themes were identified. First, informal caregivers perceived iSupport as an opportunity to provide an online one-stop shop to meet their education needs and their needs to manage care services. Second, both informal caregivers and care staff believed that an integrated caregiver network moderated by a health professional was much needed to enable informal caregivers to share learning experiences and enhance social support. Third, both informal caregivers and care staff strongly suggested that dementia and aged care service providers had a role to play in promoting the iSupport. Fourth, informal caregivers were concerned about the time commitment to participate in the iSupport programme. Finally, informal caregivers expected the iSupport to be user-friendly. CONCLUSION: Stakeholders perceived the adaptation of the WHO iSupport in Australia would strengthen informal caregiver education and optimise support for informal caregivers.
Authors: Tuan Anh Nguyen; Kham Tran; Adrian Esterman; Bianca Brijnath; Lily Dongxia Xiao; Penelope Schofield; Sunil Bhar; Nilmini Wickramasinghe; Ronald Sinclair; Thu Ha Dang; Sarah Cullum; Yuda Turana; Ladson Hinton; Katrin Seeher; Andre Q Andrade; Maria Crotty; Susan Kurrle; Stefanie Freel; Thang Pham; Thanh Binh Nguyen; Henry Brodaty Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Date: 2021-11-16
Authors: Ana Carolina Ottaviani; Diana Quirino Monteiro; Camila Rafael Ferreira Campos; Elizabeth Joan Barham; Déborah Oliveira; Keila Cristianne Trindade da Cruz; Larissa Corrêa; Fabiana de Souza Orlandi; Marisa Silvana Zazzetta; Aline Cristina Martins Gratão; Sofia Cristina Iost Pavarini Journal: Front Med (Lausanne) Date: 2022-08-18