Chinese American Dementia Caregivers' Positive Experience Scores Nearly Double After Seven-Week Online Support Program, George Mason Study Finds, Rising 96%
FAIRFAX, Virginia — Chinese American family caregivers of people with dementia reported a nearly doubled sense of positive caregiving experience after taking part in a seven-week online support program, and the improvement was still significantly above baseline 12 months later, a new George Mason University study found.
The study, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging, assessed 48 Chinese American dementia caregivers, most of them women, with an average age of 64. It evaluated WECARE 2.0, an updated version of a WeChat-based support program developed by Professor Y. Alicia Hong of George Mason University's Department of Health Administration, Policy, and Informatics and colleagues.
Scores measuring positive caregiving experiences rose 96 percent after the seven-week program, from an average of 12.62 to 24.76 on a 36-point scale. Scores remained significantly higher than baseline among the 36 caregivers who completed the 12-month follow-up. Participants reported a greater sense of control and competence in their caregiving roles and more positive views of caregiving.
Family caregivers of people with dementia face sustained physical and mental strain, and Chinese American caregivers often struggle to access support services because of language and cultural barriers. The research team said the online program offers an accessible channel of support for this group.
Source: George Mason University
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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