Internet-Based Caregiver Support for Chinese Canadians Taking Care of a Family Member with Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementia

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the usability of a new Internet-based Caregiver Support Service (ICSS) and evaluate its effects on health outcomes of Chinese Canadians who cared for a family member with dementia. Demographic and questionnaire data were collected from 28 participants, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants.

Results showed that non-users reported higher levels of burden post-intervetion, and frequent users showed postintervention reduction in experienced burden. Traditional beliefs shaped caregivers’ needs; also, ethno-cultural-linguistic contexts affected system usability and were associated with usage behaviour. 

This study indicates that caregivers can benefit from receiving professional support via asynchronous e-mails and a dedicated information web site. The ICSS is a feasible approach for supporting caregivers who prefer an alternative service model. This emerging service requires more research in: enhanced technology design, service delivery models for immigrant caregivers, and evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

My Opinion :

From this study background, it is said that the results of technology-based programs for dementia caregivers showed an increase in decision confidence, reduction in emotional strain, reduction in spousal relationship conflict, and less activity restriction.

This study highlights the Ethno-Cultural-Linguistic factors in the caregivers, Caregivers from different ethnic backgrounds may vary in the degree of experienced stress, psychosocial outcomes, and service utilization. The population in this study is the Chinese Canadians. There is a  cultural-linguistic barriers to health services access. From that finding suggest that chinese caregivers may need support services tailored to their ethnic-cultural belief systems. The result in this study stated that the user of the internet-based service who is tailored for the caregiver individual  needs have a better outcome compared to the non-user.

From this study, what can I learn is that we can use a tailored internet-based support for the dementia infomal caregiver (the family) such as language easiness, We can make a javanese language based website for supporting alzheimer caregiver in Java, especially Yogyakarta. 

Reference : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19925698