The Effectiveness of Dementia Education for the Nursing Method of Family Caregivers of the Demented Elderly

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study attempted to identify the effectiveness and substantiality of a dementia education program for family caregivers of the demented elderly. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control pretest-posttest design was carried out from April 15 to July 29 in 2012 with 137 subjects divided into an experimental group (n=70) and a control group (n=67). This study examined the subjects' general characteristics, and evaluated their nursing method four times, respectively, before the intervention, right after the intervention, and 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention, and then analyzed collected data through t-test and chi2-test. RESULTS: In the experimental group that had received the dementia education, the nursing method score was significantly higher right after the intervention (t=8.33, p<.001) and 2 weeks after the intervention (t=8.01, p<.001) than before the intervention, but their score 4 weeks after the intervention was not significantly different from that of the control group (t=1.08, p=.28). CONCLUSION: The dementia education was found to be effective in improving the nursing method of family caregivers of the demented elderly. This study implies that further follow-up dementia education is necessary between 2 and 4 weeks to maintain the effectiveness.