Effectiveness of educational program using printed educational material on care burden distress among staff of residential aged care facilities without medical specialists and/or registered nurses: C C luster quasi‐randomization study

摘要

Aim Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are an important source of distress for caregivers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of educational intervention using printed educational material for reducing distress induced by behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia among caregivers working at facilities without medical specialists and/or registered nurses. Methods A cluster quasi‐randomized, controlled comparative trial was carried out at 17 facilities in J apan. Our intervention was an educational program administered at baseline using printed educational material for the care staff. The primary outcome was evaluated using the Japanese version of the N europsychiatric I nventory Q uestionnaire. The secondary outcome measures were caregiver burnout evaluated using the J apanese version of the M aslach B urnout I nventory and the care dependency of residents measured using the Japanese version of the C are D ependency S cale. Results The total N europsychiatric I nventory Q uestionnaire score decreased significantly in the intervention group ( F [1355] = 6.57, P = 0.01), and the difference between the intervention and control groups was also significant ( F [1355] = 4.78, P = 0.03). There were no significant changes in the M aslach B urnout I nventory or C are D ependency S cale scores in the intervention group, while the M aslach B urnout I nventory subscale (personal accomplishment) score decreased significantly in the control group. Conclusions Our intervention achieved a significant reduction of distress among caregivers working at care homes without medical specialists and/or registered nurses. The findings of this research show that educational intervention can make a valuable contribution to training programs for care staff. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 487–494 .