Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II
Abstract Background Individualized, outreach and structured multicomponent interventions are a promising intervention approach to relieve the burden of informal caregivers of people with dementia. In this study, we adapted and evaluated a multicomponent intervention (Resources for Enhancing Alzheime...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Geriatrics |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-017-0678-y |
| _version_ | 1819012306162417664 |
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| author | Martin Berwig Stephanie Heinrich Jenny Spahlholz Nina Hallensleben Elmar Brähler Hermann-Josef Gertz |
| author_facet | Martin Berwig Stephanie Heinrich Jenny Spahlholz Nina Hallensleben Elmar Brähler Hermann-Josef Gertz |
| author_sort | Martin Berwig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Individualized, outreach and structured multicomponent interventions are a promising intervention approach to relieve the burden of informal caregivers of people with dementia. In this study, we adapted and evaluated a multicomponent intervention (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health II, REACH II), which was developed in the USA, to the German health-care system. Therefore the project is called the German adaptation of REACH II (in German: Deutsche Adaptation der REACH II, DE-REACH). Methods The effectiveness of DE-REACH was examined in a randomized, controlled trial on 92 informal caregivers of people with dementia. The intervention comprised 12 individual two-weekly sessions (9 at home with the informal caregiver and 3 via telephone) and combined five modules. The reduction of the burden of the informal caregivers was chosen as the primary outcome. Results The results showed a great stabilizing effect of the intervention on caregiver burden (effect size d = 0.91), that is, comparing pre- and post-measurements the burden decreased very slightly in the intervention group whereas it increased very strongly in the control group. After a three-month follow-up period this effect decreased from a great to a moderate effect. There were also improvements as a result of the intervention in somatization, health-related psychological quality of life and the reaction of the informal caregivers in response to challenging behaviors of the relative with dementia. Moreover, the frequency of challenging behaviors of the affected person itself was reduced in favor of the intervention. Conclusion The findings of this study provide further evidence for the impact of multicomponent support interventions for informal caregivers of people with dementia. Clinical trial registration NCT01690117 . Registered September 17, 2012. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T01:41:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2afa03ca86094d8ab821748e5887044e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2318 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T01:41:57Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Geriatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-2afa03ca86094d8ab821748e5887044e2022-12-21T19:20:08ZengBMCBMC Geriatrics1471-23182017-12-0117111310.1186/s12877-017-0678-yIndividualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH IIMartin Berwig0Stephanie Heinrich1Jenny Spahlholz2Nina Hallensleben3Elmar Brähler4Hermann-Josef Gertz5Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of LeipzigClinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of LeipzigDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical Faculty, Martin Luther University of Halle-WittenbergDepartment of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Medical Faculty, University of LeipzigDepartment of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Medical Faculty, University of LeipzigClinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of LeipzigAbstract Background Individualized, outreach and structured multicomponent interventions are a promising intervention approach to relieve the burden of informal caregivers of people with dementia. In this study, we adapted and evaluated a multicomponent intervention (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health II, REACH II), which was developed in the USA, to the German health-care system. Therefore the project is called the German adaptation of REACH II (in German: Deutsche Adaptation der REACH II, DE-REACH). Methods The effectiveness of DE-REACH was examined in a randomized, controlled trial on 92 informal caregivers of people with dementia. The intervention comprised 12 individual two-weekly sessions (9 at home with the informal caregiver and 3 via telephone) and combined five modules. The reduction of the burden of the informal caregivers was chosen as the primary outcome. Results The results showed a great stabilizing effect of the intervention on caregiver burden (effect size d = 0.91), that is, comparing pre- and post-measurements the burden decreased very slightly in the intervention group whereas it increased very strongly in the control group. After a three-month follow-up period this effect decreased from a great to a moderate effect. There were also improvements as a result of the intervention in somatization, health-related psychological quality of life and the reaction of the informal caregivers in response to challenging behaviors of the relative with dementia. Moreover, the frequency of challenging behaviors of the affected person itself was reduced in favor of the intervention. Conclusion The findings of this study provide further evidence for the impact of multicomponent support interventions for informal caregivers of people with dementia. Clinical trial registration NCT01690117 . Registered September 17, 2012.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-017-0678-yDementiaInformal caregiverBurdenMulticomponent interventionREACH II |
| spellingShingle | Martin Berwig Stephanie Heinrich Jenny Spahlholz Nina Hallensleben Elmar Brähler Hermann-Josef Gertz Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II BMC Geriatrics Dementia Informal caregiver Burden Multicomponent intervention REACH II |
| title | Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II |
| title_full | Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II |
| title_fullStr | Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II |
| title_short | Individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia – effectiveness of the German adaptation of REACH II |
| title_sort | individualized support for informal caregivers of people with dementia effectiveness of the german adaptation of reach ii |
| topic | Dementia Informal caregiver Burden Multicomponent intervention REACH II |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12877-017-0678-y |
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