Process of developing multi-media video-based caregiving resources (MMVCR) for family carers with dementia relatives at home

Abstract

Objective: To delineate the process of developing multi-media video-based caregiving resources (MMVCR) and determine their appropriateness, acceptability, relevancy and satisfaction among family carers with dementia relatives at home.

Background: Dementia caregiving is a highly demanding and a very lonely task faced by family carers. The provision of timely information on dementia care rests on the ability of family carers to access appropriate and relevant information to meet their immediate concerns.

Methods: The MMVCR were developed with older people, family carers and healthcare professionals. Seventeen family carers from a district elderly centre were approached.

Results: The process of developing and validating the MMVCR were captured. The MMCVR contained specific caregiving themes that were identified by family carers to be important aspects of daily caregiving at home. There was great value in working in partnership with older people and carers in developing resources that targeted at their specific needs. Together with healthcare professionals, views from all parties were solicited to validate the quality of these resources which were considered to be appropriate, acceptable, relevant and satisfying.

Conclusion: This small innovative study, which gave rise to DVDs and USBs, demonstrated the need to closely involve older people and family carers when developing resources that are of use to them. Bearing in mind that time is at a premium for family carers, key take home messages should be deliberately short, concise, and jargon-free. Content should be packaged using creative and innovative multimedia resources, and reused for teaching and supporting carers in future activities.