Background: Following institutionalization of a relative with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD), family carers continue to provide care. They must learn to negotiate with staff and navigate the system all of which can affect their mental health. A web-based intervention, My Tools 4 Care-In Care (MT4C-In Care) was developed by the research team to aid carers through the transitions experienced when their relative/friend with ADRD resides in a long-term care (LTC) facility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate MT4C-In Care for feasibility, acceptability, ease of use, and satisfaction, along with its potential to help decrease carer's feelings of grief and improve their hope, general self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life.
Methods: The study was a mixed-methods single-arm repeated measures feasibility study. Participants accessed MT4C-In Care over a 2-month period. Data were collected at baseline and 1 and 2 months. Using a checklist, participants evaluated MT4C-In Care for ease of use, feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction. Measures were also used to assess the effectiveness of the MT4C-In Care in improving hope (Herth Hope Index), general self-efficacy (GSES), loss and grief (NDRGEI), and health-related quality of life (SF12v2) of participants. Qualitative data were collected at 2 months and informed quantitative findings.
Results: The majority of the 37 participants were female (65%; 24/37), married (73%; 27/37), and had a mean age of 63.24 years (SD = 11.68). Participants reported that MT4C-In Care was easy to use, feasible, and acceptable. Repeated measures ANOVA identified a statistically significant increase over time in participants hope scores ( = 0.03) and a significant decrease in grief (< 0.001). Although significant differences in mental health were not detected, hope ( = 0.43, = 0.03) and grief ( = - 0.66, < 0.001) were significantly related to mental health quality of life.
Conclusion: MT4C-In Care is feasible, acceptable, and easy to use and shows promise to help carers of family members with ADRD residing in LTC increase their hope and decrease their grief. This study provides the foundation for a future pragmatic trial to determine the efficacy of MT4C-In Care.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03571165. June 30, 2018 (retrospectively registered).
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40814-018-0356-7 | DOI Listing |
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Study protocol: pragmatic randomized control trial of my tools 4 care- in care (MT4C-in care) a web-based tool for family Carers of persons with dementia residing in long term care.
BMC Geriatr
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Division of Geriatric Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 1403 - 29th Street NW, Calgary, AB, T2N2T9, Canada.
Background: When a family member resides in long term care facility (LTC), family carers continue caregiving and have been found to have decreases in mental health. The aim of My Tools 4 Care - In Care (an online intervention) is to support carers of persons living with dementia residing in LTC through transitions and increase their self-efficacy, hope, social support and mental health. This article comprises the protocol for a study to evaluate My Tools 4 Care-In Care (MT4C-In Care) by asking the following research questions: 1) Is there a 2 month (immediately post-intervention) and 4 month (2 months post-intervention) increase in mental health, general self-efficacy, social support and hope, and decrease in grief and loneliness, in carers of a person living with dementia residing in LTC using MT4C-In CARE compared to an educational control group? 2) Do carers of persons living with dementia residing in LTC perceive My Tools 4 Care- In Care helps them with the transitions they experience?
Methods: This study is a single blinded pragmatic mixed methods randomized controlled trial.
A Comparison of Users and Nonusers of a Web-Based Intervention for Carers of Older Persons With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: Mixed Methods Secondary Analysis.
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Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Background: A self-administered Web-based intervention was developed to help carers of persons with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) and multiple chronic conditions (MCC) deal with the significant transitions they experience. The intervention, My Tools 4 Care (MT4C), was evaluated during a pragmatic mixed methods randomized controlled trial with 199 carers. Those in the intervention group received free, password-protected access to MT4C for three months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMixed-methods single-arm repeated measures study evaluating the feasibility of a web-based intervention to support family carers of persons with dementia in long-term care facilities.
Pilot Feasibility Stud
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9Faculty of Nursing Level 3, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, 11405 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9 Canada.
Background: Following institutionalization of a relative with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD), family carers continue to provide care. They must learn to negotiate with staff and navigate the system all of which can affect their mental health. A web-based intervention, My Tools 4 Care-In Care (MT4C-In Care) was developed by the research team to aid carers through the transitions experienced when their relative/friend with ADRD resides in a long-term care (LTC) facility.
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