Reference | Country Setting | Methods and intervention | Carer participants | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1) Intervention group | Number* (Attrition %) | Age (years) mean (SD) | Gender % female | |||
2) Control group | ||||||
Burns et al., [29] | USA | This RCT tested two 24- month primary care interventions to alleviate the psychological distress of carers of people with AD. The interventions, using targeted educational materials, were a) patient behaviour management only (behaviour care) (A), and b) A + carer stress–coping management. | 1) Enhanced care | 82 (52.4 %) | 65.1 (12.6) | 87.4 % |
PC sites | 2) Behaviour management | 82 (56.5 %) | 64.5 (13.0) | 84.6 % | ||
Nichols et al., [30] | USA | This clinical translation was developed to test/demonstrate that a proven behavioural intervention for carers of PWD (Belle et al., [33]) could be successfully translated into clinical practice with different types of staff delivering the 6-month REACH VA intervention. This included education, support, and skills training to address five caregiving risk areas: safety, social support, problem behaviours, depression, and carer health. There was no control group. | 1) REACH VA intervention | 127 (22.8 %) | 71.6 (11.6) | 92.7 % |
Home-based PC programs | n.a. | |||||
Fortinsky et al., [31] | USA | This quasi-experimental study investigated the value of employing a nurse practitioner with geropsychiatric expertise to augment care from primary care physicians for PWD and their family carers. The intervention was called PPDC. Control group patients and carers received usual care supplemented by educational materials. | 1) PPDC program | 21 (23.2 %) | 67.4 (13.8) | 48.0 % |
Community-based PCP group practice | 2) Usual care | 10 (n.r.) | 69.9 (14.9) | 70.0 % | ||
Rodriguez-Sanchez et al., [32] | Spain | In a primary health care context, this multicentre RCT tested the effect of a cognitive behavioural intervention developed to improve the mental health of carers of PWD. The control group received usual care. | 1) Cognitive-behavioural intervention | 83 (7.2 %) | 61.1 (11.9) | 73.5 % |
PHC centres | 2) Usual care | 42 (19.0 %) | 649 (11.8) | 76.2 % |