‘Partnering with Poise’: Alexander technique online group classes are a promising intervention to decrease loss‐of‐self and increase agency for care partners of people living with dementia

Abstract

Background: Studies show 1:1 in-person Alexander technique (AT) sessions can reduce anxiety and musculoskeletal pain with long-term benefits [1-4]. Care partners (CP) often experience role engulfment and loss of self [5]. AT is an embodied approach to choose functional patterns that transform disruptive stress reactions to adaptive responses, increasing confidence, self-control, and self-awareness. Previous in-person group course results from 71 Parkinson's CP showed promise with benefits retained at 12 months. COVID-19 provided an opportunity to test synchronous online AT-based courses for CP of people living with dementia.Method: Design: Controlled feasibility trial. AT group: 14 participants (12F/2M) from 9 states; mean age 68; 72% provided 41+ hrs/wk care for family member with dementia; 13 lived with care-receiver. Control group: 9 participants (8F/1M) from 4 states; mean age 63; 67% provided 41+ hrs/wk care; 6 lived with family care-receiver. AT groups met 90 min/week x 10wks. Intervention: Delivered in-home via Zoom. Embodied self-management strategies included intentional strategies to interrupt automatic reactions and affirm centrality of the self, taught via verbal and visual instruction, activities, anatomical models/images, and demonstration videos. AT principles were embedded in everyday activities (gait, sit-to-stand, IADLs, etc.