Counselling groups for spouses of elderly demented patients: A qualitative evaluation study

Abstract

Ten women and eight men who were caring for their demented husbands or wives participated in a closed-group counselling programme, developed and carried out by two district nurses at a local health centre. There were seven or eight participants in each group, which met 13-14 times over a period of 8 months. This study is based on semistructured interviews about the participants' situation just before entering the counselling group, the counselling programme itself, and their situation after the end of the programme. Their situations before the programmes were described as an exhausting, chaotic prison but after the programme they could cope with their situation and plan and manage their daily life. None of the participants needed further organised counselling; engagement in the local dementia association was sufficient for them. The counselling nurses' experience in and about caring for demented patients, their tactful authority, the closed groups and the long duration of the programme were judged to be crucial for the successful outcome of the programme.

Male caregiving in dementia: A review and commentary

“…This finding was supported by Gant, Steffen, & Lauderdalae (2007) who found that the male caregivers ( n = 32) interviewed preferred informational and skill development interventions over emotional focused interventions. However, a qualitative study by Brännström, Tibblin, & Löwenborg (2000) that evaluated a closed group-counselling programme comprising women ( n = 10) and men ( n = 8), concluded that both men and women reported that they felt better able to cope after the counselling sessions.…”

Support groups for dementia caregivers - Predictors for utilisation and expected quality from a family caregiver's point of view: A questionnaire survey PART I*

“…An empirical study about quality criteria for support groups could not be found in Medline ® , PsychINFO ® or Cinahl ® . Just one single study that documented the experience of 18 dementia family caregivers in group counselling sessions refers to the importance of the aspects "to talk about anything" and "to be understood by the others" using semi-structured interviews [29]. …”

Experiences of a communication‐skills course for care partners of people living with dementia, empowered conversations: A qualitative framework analysis

“…A recent systematic review of interventions for carers of people living with dementia that included a communication‐focussed component only identified two qualitative studies and these focussed on the same intervention: carer‐delivered cognitive stimulation (Orgeta et al., 2015; Yates et al., 2016). The time period searched regarding qualitative studies within this update review of training for carers with a communication element was 2010–2017, expanding this time period to the past 20 years and searching more broadly for psychological interventions uncovered seven additional studies (Auclair et al., 2009; Brännström et al., 2000; Goodall et al., 2021; Johannessen et al., 2015; Lauritzen et al., 2023; Sommerlad et al., 2014; Sørensen et al., 2008). However, only three of these specifically included communication strategies or support (including a further qualitative analysis of cognitive stimulation), and these interventions did not use a group format (Auclair et al., 2009; Sommerlad et al., 2014).…”