Family carer’s experience of caring for a person affected by Alzheimer’s disease

W artykule prezentowana jest analiza i interpretacja doświadczeń 74-letniej kobiety sprawującej opiekę nad mężem dotkniętym chorobą Alzheimera. Wyróżnione zostały dwa tematy: "trudna choroba" i "poświęcenie opiece". Artykuł zawiera również refleksje nad możliwościami wsparcia i pomocy psychoterapeutycznej osobom sprawującym opiekę nad krewnym dotkniętym chorobą Alzheimera.The aim of the study is to present the analysis and interpretation of family carer’s experience of caring for a person affected by Alzheimer’s disease. In an interview with 74-year-old A., wife of J. diagnosed with dementia in Alzheimer’s disease, eight themes were distinguished and assigned to two higher-order themes: "The difficult disease" and "Devotion to care". The first main theme includes a reoccurring scheme, "Me vs. the disease" - an individual and lonely fight against the disease, which is treated by A. as a separate element of the situation of caring. The second main theme encompasses paradoxically bound themes of a deepening sense of strangeness and growing dependency between the carer and patient. The conclusions of the study appear to be consistent with previous research. In A.’s story, examples can be found of the so-called malignant social psychology that characterises the public perception of dementia, as well as evidence of the importance of the way of revealing the diagnosis and informing the patient and his relatives about symptoms and the probable progression of the disease. The final part of the work is a reflection on the possibilities of psychotherapeutic support and assistance given to people in a situation similar to that faced by A. What seems particularly important is providing the carer with access to information about the disease from the moment of diagnosis, along with individual work on the emotional difficulties and promoting person-centred care

Digital Microlearning for Training and Competency Development of Older Adult Care Personnel: Mixed Methods Intervention Study to Assess Needs, Effectiveness, and Areas of Application

BackgroundOlder adult care organizations face challenges today due to high personnel turnover and pandemic-related obstacles in conducting training and competence development programs in a time-sensitive and fit-for-purpose manner. Digital microlearning is a method that attempts to meet these challenges by more quickly adapting to the educational needs of organizations and individual employees in terms of time, place, urgency, and retention capacity more than the traditional competency development methods. ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine if and how an app-based digital microlearning intervention can meet older adult care organizations’ personnel competency development needs in terms of knowledge retention and work performance. MethodsThis study assessed the use of a digital microlearning app, which was at the testing stage in the design thinking model among managerial (n=4) and operational (n=22) employees within 3 older adult care organizations. The app was used to conduct predetermined competency development courses for the staff. Baseline measurements included participants’ previous training and competency development methods and participation, as well as perceived needs in terms of time, design, and channel. They then were introduced to and used a digital microlearning app to conduct 2 courses on one or more digital devices, schedules, and locations of their own choice during a period of ~1 month. The digital app and course content, perceived knowledge retention, and work performance and satisfaction were individually assessed via survey upon completion. The survey was complemented with 4 semistructured focus group interviews, which allowed participants (in total 16 individuals: 6 managerial-administrative employees and 10 operational employees) to describe their experiences with the app and its potential usefulness within their organizations. ResultsThe proposed advantages of the digital microlearning app were largely confirmed by the participants’ perceptions, particularly regarding the ease of use and accessibility, and efficiency and timeliness of knowledge delivery. Assessments were more positive among younger or less experienced employees with more diverse backgrounds. Participants expressed a positive inclination toward using the app, and suggestions provided regarding its potential development and broader use suggested a positive view of digitalization in general. ConclusionsOur results show that app-based digital microlearning appears to be an appropriate new method for providing personnel competency development within the older adult care setting. Its implementation in a larger sample can potentially provide more detailed insights regarding its intended effects