Michelle Panlilio, DNP, MSN, NP

Abstract:

Background: Caregivers are the foundation of care for patients with dementia (PWD), yet they receive little support or information when the PWD is hospitalized. Insufficient caregiver support results in poor caregiver self-efficacy (SE), which is the perception of one’s ability to successfully and confidently provide care for another individual. This project evaluated if a guidebook developed specifically for caregivers of PWD increased caregiver SE scores after an acute hospitalization. Methods: Using a single-group, single-center design, SE was evaluated in 35 caregivers before and after implementation of the Inpatient Dementia Guidebook in the geriatric unit of a large academic medical center in the Western United States. The Caregiver SE scale was administered pre-intervention and repeated within two weeks after discharge (post-intervention). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon tests. Results: After administration of the Inpatient Dementia Guidebook, caregivers showed higher scores on the Caregiver SE scale, compared to the pre-tests (p < 0.001), which demonstrated an improvement in caregiver SE. Results also exhibited an increase in caregiver self-reported health (p = .002) and more frequent use of community-based organizations (p = .02) after the guidebook intervention. Conclusion: The provision of a guidebook was beneficial in supporting caregivers during an acute hospitalization. Thus, healthcare systems and hospitals should adopt similar measures to support caregivers for PWD. Key words: dementia, caregivers, self-efficacy, hospitalization, Alzheimer’s Disease.

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