Developing a Program to Promote the Ability of Caregivers to Care for the Elderly with Dementia

Abstract

The increasing dependency of elderly individuals with dementia highlights the importance of enhancing the capabilities of their caregivers. This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effectiveness of training for caregivers of elderly individuals with dementia. It evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction regarding the dementia care training among 100 village health volunteers (VHVs). A voluntary sampling method was used, and the tools included a training manual for dementia care and assessment forms for knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction, which were validated by three experts, yielding content validity indices of 0.67-1.00 for all forms. The training manual underwent a pilot test with five caregivers for refinement and practical use. Reliability for the assessment forms was checked: the knowledge assessment had a KR-20 value of 0.69, while the other two assessments had Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.73 and 0.93, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Effectiveness Index (E.I), and paired t-test. The research findings indicated that the training manual is effective, with an E.I of 0.90, equating to 90%. Among the 100 volunteers, 68 completed the training and provided complete data, representing 68%. The average knowledge score before training was lower than after training (Mean= 16.16 and 18.82, SD = 2.49 and 1.80, respectively). The average attitude score towards caring for individuals with dementia was high (Mean = 23.51, SD = 3.38). Comparison of knowledge before and after training revealed a statistically significant increase in the average knowledge level post-training (p<0.05). Moreover, volunteers expressed high satisfaction with the training, with 94.10% satisfaction (Mean = 86.34, SD = 7.91).