Effects of the Home Environmental Skill-Building Program on the Caregiver–Care Recipient Dyad: 6-Month Outcomes From the Philadelphia REACH Initiative

Abstract

The Environmental Skill-Building Program reduces burden and enhances caregiver well-being in select domains and has added benefit for women and spouses.

Effectiveness of Supporting Informal Caregivers of People with Dementia: A Systematic Review of Randomized and Non-Randomized Controlled Trials

“…There was also less need for ADL help and better affect. On the other hand there were no differences found for caregivers' overall well-being and overall (objective and subjective) burden, nor in care-recipients' behavioral problems and in their physical functioning [22]. The psychoeducational intervention program (PIP) of high methodological quality developed by Martin-Carrasco et al also decreased burden (primary outcome), improved mental health, and did improve caregiver well-being [64].…”

“…It refers to a balance between the social, physical, and psychological resources caregivers need in order to meet their social, psychological, and physical challenges [18][19][20][21]. Although many interventions demonstrated positive impacts on different outcomes such as burden [22,23], quality of life of the caregiver [24], and delay in hospitalization [25]; other similar studies did not find the same benefits [26][27][28]. Inconsistency of the current findings can be explained by the methodological issues caused by the complex nature of this type of research, e.g., [4,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35], such as: different duration of interventions, different intensity and characteristics of interventions, and the variety of caregivers and care-recipients characteristics.…”

Systematic review of recent dementia practice guidelines

“…Home based interventions, in the form of nurse led case management and community based occupational therapy have been shown to be beneficial with respect to improving caregiver well being, and reducing caregiver burden and ratings of behavioural problems in the person with dementia. [156][157][158][159] Several meta-analyses and systematic reviews [160][161][162][163][164][165] have also found that caregiver interventions improve caregivers' mental health and well-being, reduce caregiver burden and delay institutionalization for the person with dementia. Specifically, support groups as well as psychoeducational interventions help to alleviate depression and improve psychological well being.…”

Differential features of burden between spouse and adult-child caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease: An exploratory comparative design

“…The positive effects on caregivers in terms of depression, burden, their response to the patient's behavioural problems and an improved perception of the patient's quality of life were all maintained six months after the intervention. The programme designed by Gitlin et al (2001Gitlin et al ( , 2003 was implemented by occupational therapists, again on an individualised basis and in the caregiver's home. The five, ninety-minute sessions, accompanied by telephone follow-up, sought to educate caregivers about dementia, to explain how the home environment might influence problem behaviour and deficits in ADL, and to provide training in problem-solving and caregiving skills.…”