Abstract
Objectives: There is a considerable need for support interventions for caregivers of people with dementia in developing countries, such as India. The purpose of the study was to identify the components and understand the acceptability of an online training and support program for dementia caregivers in India. Methods: Three focus group discussions were carried out with dementia caregivers (2) and health professionals (1) to understand the requirements of an online training and support program from their perspective. The commonly recurring themes were identified and defined using thematic content analysis. Results: The expectations from an online training and support program were wide-ranging from information about identification and management of dementia to support caregiver well-being. Use of simple language, cultural relevance, and an interactive design were suggestions to facilitate the use of the support program. Lack of time, difficulty in accessing the internet, lack of awareness about the portal, difficulty in reaching the rural population were anticipated as challenges in using the program. Conclusions: The study highlights the requisite components of a first of its kind online training and support program in India by integrating the experiences, motivations, challenges, and expectations of caregivers and professionals involved in dementia care. Clinical Implications: The focus group discussions in the current study provide a road map for the development of an online caregiver training and support program underlying the perspectives of the stakeholders for the consolidation of an effective dementia care program for lower resourced settings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 518-532 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Clinical Gerontologist |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 21 Feb 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Sept 2020 |
Funding
This work was supported by Grant # ETAC 13-280725 from the US National Office of the Alzheimer?s Association to the World Health Organization; US National Office of the Alzheimer?s Association [Grant # ETAC 13-280725]. The authors would like to thank Diana Zandi from World Health Organization for her comments on prior versions of this manuscript. The authors would also like to thank everyone who participated in the study, especially, the caregivers and the health professionals who took part in the focus groups and provided their valuable inputs. The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone, and endorsement by the authors? institutions or the funding agency is not intended and should not be inferred.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Alzheimer's Association | |
| World Health Organization |
Keywords
- Dementia
- family caregivers
- focus groups
- India
- online training and support program
