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Background and Objectives Most persons with dementia experience behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD). While there is evidence that structured activity programs can be beneficial for persons with dementia and their caregivers, it is not well understood how joint engagement in shared activities affects BPSD and caregiver stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of doing a shared activity on the BPSD and caregiver stress. Research Design and Methods This study used an intensive longitudinal observational design in which caregivers completed baseline and once-a-day diary surveys for 21 days. Caregivers were asked whether they did a pleasant noncare activity with their relative, the presence of 8 BPSD, and their stress level. A moderation model in a structural equation model examined the relationship between these variables. Results Our sample consisted of 453 caregivers (87.4% female, 51.4% non-Hispanic White, mean age 53 years [standard deviation { SD }: 14]) and person living with dementia whose mean age was 79 years (SD : 9). On days when the caregivers engaged in a shared activity together with person living with dementia, there was a significant decrease in the BPSD (estimate −0.038, standard error [ SE ] = 0.016, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.069, −0.007, p value = 0.018). The effects of engaging in a shared activity decreased the impact of caregiver stress by 0.052 (estimate −0.052, SE = 0.018, 95% CI: −0.087, −0.017, p value = 0.004). At the between-person level, no differences were found in BPSD across caregivers who engaged or did not engage in shared activities. Discussion and Implications The results of our study indicate that doing a shared activity is associated with reduced BPSD among persons with dementia and may buffer the impact of caregiver stress on BPSD. Shared activities should be considered a key intervention component for dementia caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Older Asians and Chinese are among the least studied populations in the dementia caregiving literature. This review seeks to critically synthesize the literature on intervention characteristics, components and tailoring strategies for dementia family caregivers in Chinese communities globally. Methods: Five electronic databases (PsychINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar) were searched for articles published between 1980 and July 2018. The protocol of this review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019132800). Results: Twenty‐nine unique interventions across 39 papers met inclusion criteria. Results from descriptive and thematic syntheses revealed that most interventions were psychoeducational, CBT‐based, multicomponent, structured, and less than a year in duration. Disease education, management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, stress coping techniques, and referral to community resources were frequently included in interventions. Community‐, culture‐ and language‐focused strategies were used to tailor interventions. The most common tailoring strategies were: (a) using community networks and media for outreach and recruitment; (b) making translations and language adaptations to the intervention materials; and (c) focusing on trust and therapeutic alliance. Most interventions produced desired outcomes, particularly reducing caregiver burden and increasing self‐efficacy. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first review to date that systematically synthesized the characteristics and tailoring of dementia caregiving interventions for Chinese families globally. Current findings suggest that most interventions are effective, although many only superficially address Chinese culture. Future research should incorporate Chinese values and cross‐cultural challenges into caregiving interventions for deep‐level adaptations that could potentially be more effective to engage and support Chinese caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]