Evaluation of the effects a caregiver training programme has on the cognitive and functional maintenance of the elderly / Valoración de los efectos de un programa de formación de cuidadores sobre el mantenimiento cognitivo y funcional de ancianos

Abstract

With the increase in the elderly population comes a need to ensure they remain cognitively and functionally stable for as long as possible. Achieving this through a caregiver training programme based on the Person Centred Care (PCC) approach has been suggested. On this basis, the purpose of this study has been to evaluate the effectiveness of a caregiver training programme on the cognitive and functional maintenance of the elderly. The study sample comprised 56 elderly people and 14 caregivers, who were assessed using the MMSE, Clifton, Barthel, EuroQol, RMBPC (elderly) and SSFQ (caregivers) measurement scales. The results at intergroup level show significant differences in the pre-treatment assessment: the control group had higher scores for MMSE, Barthel, EuroQol and RMPBC scales, but that difference disappeared as scores for the treatment group increased. At an intragroup level, increases in scores were observed in the MMSE, Clifton and EuroQol scales for the treatment group and decreases in the Clifton, EuroQol and Barthel scales for the control group. From these results we can conclude that a caregiver training programme based on a PCC approach produces cognitive and functional benefits in the elderly. In addition, caregivers in the treatment group felt more competent, confident and satisfied with their work.

Caregiver training: Evidence of its effectiveness for cognitive and functional improvement in older adults

“…This reveals that older adults benefit equally from the intervention produced by the training programme, regardless of the type of caregiver that implements the programme, such that both types of caregivers are equally effective. Moreover, in both groups we see how HRQoL and cognitive ability improve after the intervention, once again showing the effectiveness of cognitive stimulation applied by caregivers, as seen in previous studies (Diniz et al, 2018;Sanjuán et al, 2018).…”

“…Based on the foregoing, prior studies using experimental and control groups have verified significant improvement in the cognitive functioning, motor execution and visuomotor coordination, and functional ability of older adults in the care of professional caregivers trained in a programme of cognitive intervention strategies that were incorporated into their usual caregiving tasks (Navarro et al, 2021;Sanjuán et al, 2018).…”

Variables that favour successful ageing / Variables que favorecen un envejecimiento exitoso

“…Until today, the few assessments made of these initiatives have resulted in a promising way to integrate cognitive training into the daily lives of people with impairment and/or dependency. Following from this, the study by Sanjuán, Calero, Abarca, and Navarro (2018) aims to assess the effects of a caregiver training programme on the cognitive and functional abilities of dependent older people. The results suggest the need to implement this type of strategy to ensure autonomy in older people or in those who have dependency problems and highlight the influence of the environment in successful ageing.…”

“…Hasta el momento, las escasas valoraciones de estas iniciativas nos las presentan como una vía prometedora para integrar los entrenamientos cognitivos en la vida cotidiana de las personas con deterioro y/o dependencia. En esta dirección se plantea el trabajo de Sanjuán, Calero, Abarca, y Navarro (2018) que tiene como objetivo la valoración de los efectos de un programa de formación de cuidadores en las habilidades cognitivas y funcionales de personas mayores dependientes. Los resultados plantean la necesidad de implementar este tipo de estrategias para mantener la autonomía en personas muy mayores o con problemas de dependencia e inciden sobre la importancia del ambiente en el envejecimiento exitoso.…”