Decreasing Stress Through Education for Caregivers of Community-Dwelling Individuals with Dementia
Abstract
People with dementia experience a decline in mental ability that interferes with daily life. The
behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia affect the majority of individuals suffering
from dementia and cause negative health outcomes, contribute to caregiver stress, decrease
quality of life, increase rate of institutionalization, and increase healthcare cost. The purpose of
this evidence-based quality improvement project was to determine if providing resources and
education on psychosocial interventions for management of the behavioral and psychological
symptoms of dementia decreases stress, as measured by the Zarit Burden Interview
questionnaire, among caregivers of community-dwelling individuals with dementia in the
outpatient primary care setting. The project utilized a one group pretest and posttest design with
a convenience sample of three participants. The small project sample size did not allow for
comparison data analysis, and the limited results were varied in the burden scores with two of the
three participants showing lower caregiver stress scores after the educational intervention.
Assessing and alleviating stress by involving caregivers in the management of behavioral and
psychological symptoms of dementia has the potential to ensure the health of the caregiver and
the care recipient and decrease the rates of institutionalization rates of individuals with dementia.
Degree
D.N.P.
Thesis Department
Rights
Open Access (fully available)
Copyright retained by author