A study of the factors to improve the competence of family caregivers who care for the elderly with dementia ; An analysis of family caregivers' experience as a lifelong learning

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The purpose of this study is to examine the means to improve the competence of family caregivers and the ways to provide educational support to them, using the content of some documentary records in which the caring process for the demented elderly was described.I interviewed the representatives of family caregivers' group and collected material about the approach for the improvement of family caregivers' competence in two local branch offices of Alzheimer's Association Japan. I explored some changes concerning competence of family caregivers, using the content of five documentary records in which the caring process for the demented elderly was described.The process of the caregivers' competence had four stages. The third stage of which was "Qualitative improvement of caring competence", including 45 concepts and 7 categories. Using these concepts and categories, the potential factors promoting or obstructing the caregiver' competence were examined. 6 items were brought together as a factor to produce improvements, and 4 items as a factor to obstruct them.I selected 6 families who are caring for the elderly with dementia, and 9 care workers who have been working at care facilities for the elderly up to two years, and interviewed each one. Data was analyzed qualitatively based on the M-GTA, and showed 5 categories and 20 concepts were derived from it, that composed the changing process of the family caregivers' recognition.There is a possibility that the educational theory based on adults' characteristics was able to be applied as methods for improving the family caregivers' competence for the demented elderly.