Peer support for family carers of people with dementia, alone or in combination with group reminiscence in a factorial design: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
2011

Peer Support for Family Carers of People with Dementia

Sample size: 240 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Georgina Charlesworth, Karen Burnell, Jennifer Beecham, Zoë Hoare, Juanita Hoe, Jennifer Wenborn, Martin Knapp, Ian Russell, Bob Woods, Martin Orrell

Primary Institution: University College London

Hypothesis

Can peer support and group reminiscence improve the wellbeing of family carers of people with dementia?

Conclusion

The trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer support and group reminiscence interventions for family carers of people with dementia.

Supporting Evidence

  • Peer support interventions can improve carer wellbeing.
  • Family carers experience greater strain and distress than other older carers.
  • Interventions that engage both the carer and person with dementia can have significant mutual benefits.

Takeaway

This study is trying to see if helping family members who care for people with dementia can make them feel better and cope better with their situation.

Methodology

A 2 × 2 factorial multi-site randomised controlled trial comparing individual peer support and group reminiscence interventions.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the non-blinding of participants and providers to the intervention.

Limitations

The study may face challenges in recruiting participants and ensuring adherence to the intervention protocols.

Participant Demographics

Adult (18 years and over) English-speaking family carers of individuals living at home with dementia.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1745-6215-12-205

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