Trialling an Online UK Dementia Awareness for Caregivers Course

Investigating the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Impact of an Online UK Dementia Awareness Course for Informal Caregivers: A Mixed Methods Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether an online Dementia Awareness Course is feasible for delivery and acceptable to informal caregivers of people living with dementia in the UK. It will also explore the impact of the course on different caregiver outcomes.

All participants were given information on the study before providing informed consent. The participants were screened against eligibility criteria before being randomly allocated to either the treatment condition of attending the course, or the control condition of treatment as usual. Participants completed 5 outcome measures and a demographics questionnaire at baseline. The treatment group then attended a one-off half-day Dementia Awareness Course online, delivered by one trainee clinical psychologist. A month later, all participants completed the same 5 outcome measures and those who attended the course also attended a one-to-one half an hour online semi-structured interview.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Self-identified informal caregiver of a person living with dementia in the community.
• Residing in the U.K.
• Ability to engage in a course delivered in English
• Have access to an internet-connected device capable of videoconferencing (camera and microphone functioning)
• Available to attend pre-specified dates for DAC-UK delivery.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Person living with dementia residing in residential care
• Professional caregiver of people living with dementia.