Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This study firstly explores the barriers among family caregivers of people with dementia. Then it moves to look at the needs among family caregivers of people with dementia. Five domains of needs from family caregivers will be examined, including knowledge of dementia and caring skills to cope with problem behaviours, medication and comorbidity management, family relationship and psychological supports, resources and benefits, and education and skills training. In this study patients with different type of dementia and at different stages of disease processes will be included. Lastly, this study gainsa complete picture to construct the supporting model in terms of needs for family caregivers with people of dementia. the study is divided into two phases. In phase one, an in-depth interview and medical (care) notes taking will be adopted. Thirty-eight participants will be recruited from the outpatients of Neurology and Geriatrics Departments of a teaching hospital in Taichung to participate in interviews and medical (care) notes. The participants are divided into three groups, Group one and two contain ten participants respectively. Group three includes eighteen participants. Participants from group one are the primary family caregivers regardless of age and gender. Group two contains people who are diagnosed with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and other types of dementia, and regardless the stage of disease process. That is he or she is in his/her early, mild and server stages of dementia. Group three contains eighteen healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, social workers, and paid carers. At phase two, ten participants will be selected to participate in Delphi questionnaires. This study will systematically examine the barriers and needs of family caregivers of people with dementia. In the end, the supporting model of needs for family caregivers will be constructed which will be expected to provide healthcare professionals more concise information and insights about the problems.