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[P2–518]: MAKING A CONNECTION: A VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUP FOR PERSONS LIVING ALONE WITH DEMENTIA
Author(s) -
Gibson Allison
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.06.1176
Subject(s) - dementia , support group , feeling , intervention (counseling) , peer support , residence , gerontology , empowerment , population , psychology , virtual community , psychological intervention , medicine , disease , psychiatry , the internet , world wide web , social psychology , demography , environmental health , pathology , sociology , political science , computer science , law
Background: Studies on persons living alone with dementia are extremely limited– primarily due to the challenges in recruiting participants for research and services (i.e., Soniat, 2004; Tierney et al., 2007). This population is difficult to identify as many individuals are not diagnosed for their impairment nor engaged in aging services (Edwards & Morris, 2007; Waugh, 2009; Gibson & Richardson, 2016). Thus, it can be challenging to identify enough participants to facilitate a peer-based support group within a local community, but a virtual support group removes isolation and geographic barriers. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges and opportunities of a virtual support group intervention for persons living alone with dementia.Methods:Participants were recruited using community partners across the states of North and South Carolina in the U.S. Participants who were newly diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (within 2 years of diagnosis) and residing alone in their own residence were included in a pilot study of a virtual support group intervention. Data was collected before and after the intervention through the use of surveys and one-on-one interviews with all 12 participants (n1⁄412). The majority of group participants did not have an identified caregiver (83.3%). The group met online weekly over the course of 3 months through the utilization of a virtual web-based communication platform. Results: Results indicated that the virtual support group intervention increased group members’ education of the disease, knowledge regarding care planning, feelings of empowerment towards diagnosis of disease, and increased feelings of social support. Conclusions:A discussion about the unique needs of persons living alone with dementia, consideration of virtual support group facilitation, and session topics will be presented. Challenges with resistance to care planning and lack-of-caregiver will also be discussed. Additional studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of the use of technologies for virtually-facilitated interventions. Implications for such interventions will also be considered.