P2‐337: THE BURDEN AND CORRELATES OF PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG OLDER HOME‐CARE CLIENTS WITH DEMENTIA

Project Description: The National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG) has begun to provide educational support for family caregivers of persons with dementia. In this study, we aim to search for the family caregivers’ needs in order to provide efficient educational support programs. The subjects were 33 caregivers and 33 patients of Alzheimer-type dementia, who participated in the program of six lectures in one term (3 months: May-July 2013). The principal data collected was the relation of the caregiver to the patient, and the evaluations of lectures (changes in their acceptance of dementia, degree of willingness to utilize the knowledge in actual care as results of the lectures). Data was collected in descriptive questionnaires (once at the start of the term, and once at the end), and from patients’ electronic health records (NM, N-ADL, BPSD, ZBI). We conducted statistical analyses.Conditional changes of the patients (3 months) were; NM: 26.2613.2y’26.8613.1, N-ADL: 38.4612.7y’36.7613.2, BPSD: 24.2613.8y’27.5615.2, and the progression of dementia was observed. Also, ZBI was 34.8615.7y’39.3613.8. Furthermore, we divided the subjects into two groups by their ZBI increase and decrease, and compared their evaluations of lectures. In terms of acceptance of dementia, struggling with the reality was dominant in both groups. Also, in terms of their willingness to utilize the learned knowledge in care, the group with decreased ZBI showed positive responses to the wide-ranged, comprehensive knowledge such as explanations of the disorder, treatment methods, and care logics. On the other hand, the ZBI increase group showed positive responses to how to relate to a person with dementia, and care skills. Based on the results, we conducted hearings for those family caregivers who were struggling to cope with those in need of care, and concluded that there is a need to implement 2-class step-up method programs and proper classifications. The two classes should be: 1) a sit-in class providing mainly medical and nursing knowledge, and 2) a class providing case studies based on exercise style focused on nursing and care.