Measuring burden in dementia caregivers: Confirmatory factor analysis for short forms of the Zarit Burden Interview. (Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, January 2017, 68/(8-13))

This study examines the psychometric properties of different short versions of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and aims to find an efficient and valid short version for clinical use among dementia caregivers.  A total of 270 Taiwanese dementia caregivers filled out the full form of the ZBI, which contains 22 items. They found the 12-item ZBI to be a promising measure for healthcare providers to assess the burden of dementia caregivers quickly and efficiently.

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The Impact of Dementia on Family Caregivers: What Is Research Teaching Us? (Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, October 2016, Vol 16(10))

Dementia family caregiving has been the focus of research for decades. Much has been learned about the negative impact of caregiving as well as characteristics that may be protective. This paper explores themes in caregiving pertinent to clinicians and researchers working with dementia family caregivers: the psychological, subjective, and physical outcomes of caregiving, ways in which dementia alters relationships between the patient and caregiver, and strategies for improving outcomes for caregivers. Suggestions for next steps in research and clinical care are made.

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RHAPSODY – Internet-based support for caregivers of people with young onset dementia: program design and methods of a pilot study. (International Psychogeriatrics, August 2016(1-9))

Young Onset Dementia (YOD), defined by first symptoms of cognitive or behavioral decline occurring before the age of 65 years, is relatively rare compared to dementia of later onset, but it is associated with diagnostic difficulty and heavy burden on affected individuals and their informal carers. Existing health and social care structures rarely meet the needs of YOD patients. Internet-based interventions are a novel format of delivering health-related education, counseling, and support to this vulnerable yet underserved group. The RHAPSODY project will add to the evidence on the potential and limitations of a conveniently accessible, user-friendly, and comprehensive internet-based intervention as an alternative for traditional forms of counseling and support in healthcare, aiming to optimize care and support for people with YOD and their informal caregivers.

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Peer support and reminiscence therapy for people with dementia and their family carers: A factorial pragmatic randomised trial. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, August 2016

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate peer support and reminiscence therapy, separately and together, in comparison with usual care for people with dementia and their family carers. Design Factorial pragmatic randomised trial, analysed by treatment allocated, was used for this study. The trial ran in Community settings in England and the participants were people with dementia and their family carers. However there is no evidence from the trial that either peer support or reminiscence is effective in improving the quality of life.

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The Initial Development of a Checklist for Assessing Thirst in Patients With Advanced Dementia. (The journal of nursing research, Sep 2016, 24(3) p. 224-231

Patients with advanced dementia (PwAD) often have difficulty expressing their needs verbally because of cognitive impairments. PwAD thus often communicate these needs through behaviors and psychological symptoms. Understanding the behavioral characteristics of certain needs is critical for caregivers and clinicians when caring for PwAD. The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist that may be used to assess the thirst status of PwAD. Exploratory factor analysis identified seven checklist items, including repetitive movements, squirming, restlessness or anxiety, persistent or unreasonable demands, pacing back and forth, repeating a sentence or question without purpose, and slow reaction. The factor loadings of these seven items accounted for 49.3% of the total variance. The reassessed internal consistency reliability was .66. Caregivers may use this checklist as an aid to identify the thirst or fluid needs of PwAD who are unable to communicate their needs effectively.

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Spousal Caregiver Perspectives on a Person-Centered Social Program for Partners With Dementia. (American journal of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Sep 2016, 31(6) p. 465-473)

This qualitative study explored spousal caregiver perspectives on the experience and impact of a person-centered social program for partners with dementia. Interviews with 5 caregivers and the spouses with dementia were conducted 7 to 8 months after the program ended to explore the sustained impact of the program. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to support in-depth exploration of interviews. Three themes emerged including benefits of the program for caregivers, initial expectations and later perspectives of caregivers about the program, and conflicting values and perspectives between caregivers and the spouses. These findings suggest participation in a person-centered social program by people with dementia benefits their caregivers, by meeting the caregivers’ desire for their spouses to increase social participation and engagement in meaningful activities. Participation in the program provided a sustained benefit to one couple in particular, by encouraging the caregiver to resume arranging activities the couple once enjoyed but now had difficulty pursuing.

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Caregiver burden in family carers of people with dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease. (Int j geri psyc, Sep 2016, 31(9) p. 1075-1083)

To characterise the differences in caregiver distress between carers of people diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with a view to differentiating and improving support for caregivers. This study is a part of two larger Norwegian studies.  Findings:  Caregiver distress differed (RSS total, p?=?0.005) between people caring for someone with AD (15.0) and those caring for someone with DLB (19.9). These findings have direct implications for the needs and resources that could be available for these individuals and indicate the need for further research into caregiver burden in carers to people with DLB.

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Catch a Glimpse of Me: The development of staff videos to promote person-centered care. (Dementia, Sept. 2016 15(5))

Catch a Glimpse of Me is an ongoing project that uses video to help staff deliver more person-centered care for people with dementia living in long-term care. Focus groups consisting of residents, family and staff members were conducted to develop a template for the development of the videos. The five themes they identified as being important to include are: family; interests and hobbies; memories and moments; life space and getting personal. The article describes the process of developing the videos and discusses the ongoing potential of the Catch a Glimpse of Me project.

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Therapeutic use of dolls for people living with dementia: A critical review of the literature. (Dementia, Sept. 2016 15(5))

There are a number of therapies currently available to assist healthcare professionals and carers with non-pharmacological treatment for people living with dementia. One such therapy that has been growing in clinical practice is doll therapy. Providing dolls to some people living with dementia has the potential to enhance personal well-being through increased levels of communication and engagement with others. Despite its potential for benefits, the practice is currently under-developed in healthcare literature, probably due to varied ethical interpretations of its practice.

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“It makes me feel like myself”: Person-centered versus traditional visual arts activities for people with dementia. (Dementia, Sept. 2016 15(5))

During a 15-month period between February 2010 and April 2011, video data on (n = 38) people with dementia were collected during a person-centered and intergenerational arts activity program called Opening Minds through Art (OMA) at three different long-term care facilities in Ohio. Paired-sample t-tests comparing OMA vs. traditional visual arts activities showed significantly higher intensity scores for OMA in the domain of engagement and pleasure, as well as significantly lower intensity scores for disengagement. The findings of this exploratory study contribute to the overall discussion about the impact of person-centered, creative-expressive arts activities on people with dementia.

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