Assisted Vacations for Men with Dementia and Their Caregiving Spouses: Evaluation of Health-Related Effects

Autor/inn/en	Wilz, Gabriele; Fink-Heitz, Margit
Titel	Assisted Vacations for Men with Dementia and Their Caregiving Spouses: Evaluation of Health-Related Effects
Quelle	In: Gerontologist, 48 (2008) 1, S.115-120 (6 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0016-9013
Schlagwörter	Control Groups; Spouses; Dementia; Caregivers; Vacations; Depression (Psychology); Community Support; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Measures (Individuals); Mental Health; Physical Health; Risk; Stress Variables + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ehepartner; Demenz; Caregiver; Carer; Betreuungsperson; Pfleger; Holidays; Ferien; Psychiatrische Symptomatik; Messdaten; Psychohygiene; Gesundheitszustand; Risiko
Abstract	Purpose: In this study, we conducted the first evaluation of assisted vacations for persons with dementia and their caregivers in the field of caregiving research. Design and Methods: We used a quasi-experimental, two-group, repeated measures design with two measuring times (preintervention, 3-month follow-up) to examine whether assisted vacations lead to a reduction in physical complaints and symptoms of depression in family caregivers. The sample consisted of 29 caregiving wives who were providing at-home care for husbands suffering from dementia. We selected the participants in the control group from a waiting list. Outcome measurements were made with the Giessen Subjective Complaints List and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results: The overall emotional and physical states of the participants in the intervention group showed significant improvements in comparison with those of the control group 3 months after the first interview. Implications: The results show that assisted vacations can have both immediate and longer lasting positive effects on participants' health. Assisted vacations can therefore be a way of diminishing the risk of stress disorders for caregiving spouses. Making assisted vacations available to people with dementia and their caregivers is a worthwhile goal for community support facilities working to reduce caregiver burden. (Author).
Anmerkungen	Gerontological Society of America. 1030 15th Street NW Suite 250, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-842-1275; Fax: 202-842-1150; e-mail: geron@geron.org; Web site: http://www.geron.org/journals/gsapub.htm
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10