The Effects of a Support Program for Family Caregivers of Elderly with Dementia on Empowerment and Attitudes toward Dementia / 한국간호교육학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This research was conducted to identify the effects of providing support programs to families of elderly with dementia on family empowerment and attitudes toward dementia. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pre- and post-test design was used. Participants were 49 family caregivers, experimental (24) and control (25), recruited from families through a dementia support center in Y district. This program implemented Haearim, a support program for family caregivers of demented elders developed by the National Institute of Dementia in 2016. Outcome measures were empowerment and attitudes toward to dementia. Data were analyzed with a χ2-test, independent t-test, Fisher's exact probability test, paired t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS/PC version 20.0. RESULTS: Family empowerment (F=6.84, p=.002) and family caregivers' attitudes (F=16.48, p < .001) toward dementia in the experimental group improved significantly more than that of the control group after intervention. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that support programs for families of elderly with dementia are effective in positively changing empowerment and attitudes toward dementia among family caregivers.