Title : Care coordination amongst dementia caregivers
Abstract:
Care of those with dementia is complex and often requires the help of outside resources to ensure the safety and health of the patient. Caregivers of these patients receive information about these resources and are quickly overwhelmed. Phone calls, support groups, respite care, and arrangement of services outside of the hospital in support of the caregiver and patient have shown to lessen burden and improve the sentiments of those involved in the care. This quality improvement project evaluated past studies and implemented an intervention that included bimonthly phone calls to assist caregivers in clarification of available resources, connection to these resources, and support. The Short Form Zarit Burden, Positive Aspects of Family Caregiving, and Positive Feelings of Self Efficacy surveys were given in pre and post improvement intervention. Results are still pending, but currently there is a trend in caregiver need for respite care and lack of knowledge of how to reach and afford these resources.
Audience Take Away:
- Better understand the effect caring for someone with dementia has on a caregiver, including burden, positives that come out of caregiving, and self-efficacy
- Barriers to dementia caregiving
- Most common resources utilized/needed by dementia caregivers.
- Cater their care for their patients and those caring for them to hopefully lessen office visits and phone calls for needs that could be met proactively.
