Educational programs for family caregivers of persons with dementia are quite popular, but vary in content and evaluation strategies. This article describes the development and content of the award winning How To Cope classes offered by the St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Two methods were used to obtain feedback and revise the program. Results from a telephone survey of past participants (n=35) and two focus groups (n=16) were combined to validate the continued usefulness of the program and develop curriculum recommendations.
References
1.
Bane SD , Halpert BP: Instructor's Manual: Information for caregivers of the elderly. Kansas City, MO: Center of Aging Studies. 1986.
2.
Birkedahl N : Older and wiser: A workbook for coping with aging. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.1991.
3.
Montgomery RJ : Family seminars for caregiving: Helping families help. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Pacific Northwest Long-Term Care Center and the Institute on Aging. 1984.
4.
New York State Office for the Aging. Caregivers practice help: Guide for course leaders. Albany, NY: In cooperation with the New York State Education Department.
5.
New York State Office for the Aging. Caregivers practice help: A six session curriculum for informal caregivers. Albany, NY: In cooperation with the New York State Education Department.
6.
Niebuhr S , Raipe J: Take care. St. Paul, MN: Wilder Foundation. 1989.
7.
Piershalla CS , Heald JD: Help for families of the aging: Caregivers can express love and set limits (Seminar leader's manual). Swarthmore, PA: Support Source. 1992.
8.
Schmall VL , Stiehl RE: Coping with caregiving: How to manage stress when caring for elderly relatives. (Report No. PNW 315). Corvallis, Oregon: Pacific Northwest Extension Publications. 1987.
9.
Springer D , Brubaker TH: Family caregivers and dependent elderly. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publication. 1984.
10.
Taber MA , Anichini MA, Angerson S, Wagant RA, the Community Care Projects, University of Illinois School of Social Work. A handbook of practical care for the frail elderly. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. 1986.
11.
Tebb S : Caregiver manual. Washington, DC: Department of Veterans Affairs. 1990.
12.
Chiverton P , Caine E: Education to assist spouses in coping with Alzheimer's disease: A controlled trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 1989; 37: 593-598.
13.
Choi T , LaVohn J, Christensen M: Health specific family coping index for noninstitutional care. America Journal of Public Health. 1983; 73: 1275-1277.
14.
Brodaty H , Roberts K, Peters K: Quasi-experimental evaluation of an educational model for dementia caregivers. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 1994; 9: 195-204.
15.
Glosser G , Wexler D: Participants’ evaluation of educational/support groups for families of patients with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia. The Gerontologist. 1985; 25: 232-236.
16.
Magni E , Zanetti O, Bianchetti A, et al: Evaluation of an Italian educational programme for dementia caregivers: Results of a smallscale pilot study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 1995; 10: 569-573.
17.
Krueger RA : Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 1994.
18.
Alzheimer's Association of St. Louis . How to cope with Alzheimer's Disease: A family education program manual (2nd edition). St. Louis, MO. 1999.
