Partners in caregiving in a special care environment: cooperative communication between staff and families on dementia units.
OBJECTIVE
This article reports the results of a randomized, controlled evaluation of Partners in Caregiving in a Special Care Environment, an intervention designed to improve communication and cooperation between staff and families of residents in nursing home dementia programs.


METHODS
Participants included 388 family members and 384 nursing staff members recruited from 20 nursing homes, randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Project staff conducted training sessions on communication and conflict-resolution techniques with two groups at the intervention sites: staff and residents' family members, followed by a joint meeting with facility administrators.


RESULTS
Families, staff, residents, and facility programs in the intervention facilities all demonstrated positive outcomes from program participation. Families experienced significant improvement in communicating with staff and in staff behaviors toward them, and spouses of residents increased their care involvement. Staff reported reduced conflict with families and reduced depression; burnout for nurses increased for individuals in the control group but not those in the treatment group. Behavioral symptoms decreased for residents, and facilities implemented more family-focused programs.


CONCLUSIONS
Effective staff and family partnerships are critical in caring for residents with dementia. The Partners in Caregiving in a Special Care Environment program is an evidence-based intervention that enables these partnerships to develop and thrive, translating into improved experiences for residents, families, and staff.
Robison
Julie
J
Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-6147, USA. jrobison@uchc.edu
Curry
Leslie
L
Gruman
Cynthia
C
Porter
Martha
M
Henderson
Charles R
CR
Pillemer
Karl
K
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003704:Dementia / Q000628:therapy*; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States