Interdisciplinary Psychoeducational Intervention Programme for Caregivers of Dependent Older Adults

Overview

Background: Caring for an older dependent adult with cognitive impairment can have negative consequences for the family caregiver. Interdisciplinary interventions are necessary to address their needs jointly and comprehensively. While attempts have been made to improve their situation from different disciplines in isolation, a collaborative approach is required to ensure the best possible outcome. Methods: A parallel, randomized, controlled clinical trial with two arms will be conducted at the Occupational Therapy Teaching and Care Unit (UDATO) and the Municipal Psychosocial Support Unit for the Elderly (UMAPS), both of which belong to the University of Salamanca and are in agreement with the City Council of Salamanca, Spain. The trial will also be conducted at the University Care Centre of Salamanca (CAUSA). People aged 60 years or older will be recruited as family caregivers of dependent older adults with cognitive impairment in a chronic situation. Participants will be divided into two groups: the intervention group (IG) will carry out an interdisciplinary psychoeducational programme from the perspective of psychology and occupational therapy, and the control group (CG) will carry out a controlled follow-up. Participants will complete 12 sessions over a period of 3 months, followed by three monthly reinforcement sessions after the intervention. At the beginning and end of the intervention, participants will be assessed and socio-demographic data will be collected along with the following scales: the Spanish version of the Caregiver Burden Interview (CBI), the Spanish version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Psychosocial Support Questionnaire adaptation (PSQ), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment - AGE (WHOQOL-AGE) and the Bayer-Activities of Daily Living Scale (B-ADL). Discussion: The objective of this study is to enhance conventional clinical practice for family caregivers of dependent older adults. This will be achieved through an interdisciplinary psychoeducational intervention that aims to reduce overload and depressive symptomatology, increase social support, improve health and perceived quality of life, and enhance understanding of the syndrome/illness. The intervention will also focus on managing difficult situations associated with day-to-day caregiving, managing emotions and associated erroneous beliefs, and promoting self-care. Additionally, the study aims to improve the functionality of the cared-for person.