Table 1 Description and illustration of objective, duration, and content of psychological first aid program
Sessions | Objective | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
A. Sessions regarding knowledge about the AD in older adults and how to care for them | |||
1st session | - Increase the caregivers’ awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and its stages. | 60 min | - History of Alzheimer’s disease - Definition of Alzheimer’s disease - Risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease - Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease - Stages of Alzheimer’s disease - Treatment of Alzheimer’s disease |
2nd session | - Identify common behavioral problems encountered by older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and how to deal with these behaviors. | 60 min | - Common changes in behaviors of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. - Triggering situations of these behaviors - Factors contributing to the development of these behaviors. - Different behavioral problems encountered by older adults with Alzheimer’s disease as aggression, anger, anxiety, agitation, and general emotional distress. - Coping tips to deal with these behaviors. |
3rd session | - Identify common behavioral problems encountered by older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and how to deal with these behaviors. | 60 min | - Continuing the different behavioral problems encountered by older adults with Alzheimer’s disease as restlessness, pacing, shredding of paper or tissues, hallucinations, delusions, physical or verbal outbursts, sleep issues, and sundowning. - Coping tips to deal with these behaviors. |
4th session | - Identify common nutritional problems encountered by older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. - Identify tips for good nutrition for Alzheimer’s older adults. - Maintain the oral health of Alzheimer’s older adults. | 60 min | - Nutritional problems encountered by older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. - Nutrition tips for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. - How the caregivers can make mealtimes easier for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. - Promoting independence of the older adults with Alzheimer’s disease during the meal. - Minimizing eating and nutrition problems for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. - Maintaining oral health of the older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. |
5th session | - Identify how to communicate with Alzheimer’s older adults. - Identify how to care for Alzheimer’s older adults with urinary incontinence. - Perform bed baths for bedridden Alzheimer’s older adults. - Maintain the skin integrity of Alzheimer’s older adults. | 60 min | - Communication with Alzheimer’s older adults: ♣ Changes that occur in communication with Alzheimer’s geriatric patient ♣ How to communicate with Alzheimer’s older adults in the early stage, middle stage, or late stage. - Daily care of Alzheimer’s older adults and how to organize the daily activities. - Care for Alzheimer’s older adults with urinary incontinence. - How to care for Alzheimer’ older adults’ skin and how to maintain their skin integrity. |
6th session | - Identify how to care for Alzheimer’s older adults in the early, middle, and late stages. | 60 min | - Caring for early-stage Alzheimer’s older adults. - Caring for middle-stage Alzheimer’s older adults. - Caring for late-stage Alzheimer’s older adults. - The caregiving responsibilities of the Alzheimer’s older adult’s caregiver in the early, middle, and late stages. |
B. Sessions concerned with caring for Alzheimer’s older adults’ caregivers | |||
7th session | - Enrich the Alzheimer older adults’ caregivers with the required knowledge and skills to deal with the caregiving stressors and stress. | 60 min | - Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer older adults’ caregiver stress. - General advice that helps Alzheimer older adults’ caregivers to adapt to their caregiving roles. - Strategies to deal with the caregiving stress - Using relaxation techniques: ♣ Visualization (imagine a place or situation that is peaceful and calm) ♣ Meditation (dedicating 15 min a day to decrease all stressful thoughts) ♣ Deep breathing exercises ♣ Progressive muscle relaxation |
8th session | - Decrease the Alzheimer’s older adults’ caregivers’ stress through practicing exercises. | 60 min | - Teach the Alzheimer’s older adults’ caregivers how to care for their health through practicing exercises by teaching them the following: ♣ Importance of exercise ♣ Principles of practicing exercises ♣ Examples of exercises they can do and how to perform them. |
9th session | - Teach the Alzheimer’s older adults’ caregivers how to enhance their sleep patterns. | 60 min | - Sleep problems encountered by Alzheimer’s older adults’ caregivers: ♣ Sleep problems, causes, and its impact. ♣ Importance of sleep ♣ Strategies to enhance caregivers’ sleep pattern |
10th session | - Maintain the nutritional status of the Alzheimer older adults’ caregivers. | 60 min | - Tips for enhancing the nutritional status of the caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. ♣ Importance of good nutrition ♣ Good nutrients. ♣ Tips of healthy food preparation and storage. |