Helping The Caregivers Of Those With Dementia

Preliminary findings from a UVic-led study highlight the value of coaching the caregivers of family with dementia in ways that empower them, increase their coping skills and develop their resilience.
        “There is relatively little information about how to address the grief caregivers feel when their loved ones experience cognitive decline or dementia,” says research program leader Penny MacCourt of UVic’s School of Social Work and Centre on Aging.
        This project, a partnership between UVic’s Centre on Aging, VIHA and the Alzheimer Society of Canada, evaluates the effectiveness of an innovative program developed and piloted by the Alzheimer Society of BC, which focuses on helping caregivers deal with the losses associated with dementia and learn strategies for dealing with their grief. Program participants from across Vancouver Island learn from a skilled registered coach with extensive experience counselling in this area.
        Preliminary results show that caregivers receiving the coaching intervention exhibit better coping, empowerment and resilience scores post-intervention than caregivers receiving no coaching. They also suggest that unattended caregiver grief can compound other stressors, increasing caregiver distress and creating negative health consequences.

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