TY - JOUR
T1 - Results of a Randomized Trial Testing the Efficacy of Tele-Savvy, an Online Synchronous/Asynchronous Psychoeducation Program for Family Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia
AU - Hepburn, Kenneth
AU - Nocera, Joe
AU - Higgins, Melinda
AU - Epps, Fayron
AU - Brewster, Glenna S.
AU - Lindauer, Allison
AU - Morhardt, Darby
AU - Shah, Raj
AU - Bonds, Kalisha
AU - Nash, Rachel
AU - Griffiths, Patricia C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - Background and Objectives: Family caregivers will grow in number as dementia prevalence increases, underscoring the continued importance of equipping these individuals for their new roles and ameliorating the adverse effects of caregiving. Research Design and Methods: A three-armed, waitlist, randomized trial design tested Tele-Savvy, an online adaptation of a successful in-person psychoeducation program, the Savvy Caregiver. Tele-Savvy is delivered over 43 days to groups of 6-8 caregivers in 7 weekly synchronous sessions accompanied by 36 brief asynchronous video lessons. We enrolled 23 cohorts of 15 eligible caregivers (N = 261), randomized 2:2:1 to active, attention control, and usual care arms. We assessed caregiver psychological well-being and caregiving mastery at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Multilevel linear models assessed outcomes over the 3 time points examined. The trial was slightly truncated, with Data and Safety Monitoring Board approval, because of the apparent confounding psychological effects of coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions. Results: Study findings indicate statistically and clinically significant benefits to Tele-Savvy arm caregivers (with moderate to large effect sizes) in the areas of depression, perceived stress, reaction to care recipients' behaviors, and enhancement of caregiver mastery. Expected benefits for caregiver burden and anxiety were not found. Discussion and Implications: Findings attest to program efficacy and the viability of employing distance means to improve family caregivers' emotional well-being and sense of mastery in the caregiving role over a 6-month period. Next steps entail finding alternate ways to deliver the program to those with connectivity and/or time constraint problems.
AB - Background and Objectives: Family caregivers will grow in number as dementia prevalence increases, underscoring the continued importance of equipping these individuals for their new roles and ameliorating the adverse effects of caregiving. Research Design and Methods: A three-armed, waitlist, randomized trial design tested Tele-Savvy, an online adaptation of a successful in-person psychoeducation program, the Savvy Caregiver. Tele-Savvy is delivered over 43 days to groups of 6-8 caregivers in 7 weekly synchronous sessions accompanied by 36 brief asynchronous video lessons. We enrolled 23 cohorts of 15 eligible caregivers (N = 261), randomized 2:2:1 to active, attention control, and usual care arms. We assessed caregiver psychological well-being and caregiving mastery at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Multilevel linear models assessed outcomes over the 3 time points examined. The trial was slightly truncated, with Data and Safety Monitoring Board approval, because of the apparent confounding psychological effects of coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions. Results: Study findings indicate statistically and clinically significant benefits to Tele-Savvy arm caregivers (with moderate to large effect sizes) in the areas of depression, perceived stress, reaction to care recipients' behaviors, and enhancement of caregiver mastery. Expected benefits for caregiver burden and anxiety were not found. Discussion and Implications: Findings attest to program efficacy and the viability of employing distance means to improve family caregivers' emotional well-being and sense of mastery in the caregiving role over a 6-month period. Next steps entail finding alternate ways to deliver the program to those with connectivity and/or time constraint problems.
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - Caregiver stress
KW - Mastery
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U2 - 10.1093/geront/gnab029
DO - 10.1093/geront/gnab029
M3 - Article
C2 - 33640979
AN - SCOPUS:85128799999
SN - 0016-9013
VL - 62
SP - 616
EP - 628
JO - Gerontologist
JF - Gerontologist
IS - 4
ER -