title: Counsellors contact dementia caregivers--predictors of utilisation in a longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Counselling of family members is an established procedure in the support of dementia patients' relatives. In absence of widespread specialised dementia care services in most countries, however, counselling services are often not taken up or only very late in the course of the disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In order to promote acceptance of this service, a new counselling concept was implemented where general practitioners recommended family counsellors, who then actively contacted the family caregivers to offer counselling ("Counsellors Contact Caregivers", CCC). The research questions were: To what extent can the rate of family counselling be increased by CCC? What are the predictors for usage of this form of family counselling?
  
  
  METHODS
  The study started in June 2006 in Middle Franconia for patients with mild to moderate dementia. At baseline, 110 family caregivers were offered counselling based on the CCC guideline. Data was analysed from 97 patient-caregiver dyads who received counselling for one year. The mean age of the patients with dementia (67 women and 30 men) was 80.7 years (SD = 6.2). The mean age of their primary family caregivers (68 women, 23 men) was 60.8 years (SD = 13.8).
  
  
  RESULTS
  35 family members (36%) made use of more extensive counselling (more than one personal contact). By contrast, 29 family members (30%) had no personal contact or only one personal contact (33 cases, 34%). The factors "spouse" (p = .001) and "degree of care" (p = .005) were identified as significant predictors for acceptance of extensive counselling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Actively contacting patients and their caregivers is a successful means of establishing early and frequent contact with family members of patients with mild to moderate dementia. Use of extensive counselling is made especially by spouses of patients requiring intensified care.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN68329593.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric University Hospital Erlangen, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grossfeld-Schmitz
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Donath
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holle
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lauterberg
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruckdaeschel
authors.forename: Hilmar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mehlig
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wunder
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grässel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012944:Social Support
references.citation: J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189-98
references.pmid: 1202204
references.citation: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2000 May;15(5):451-7
references.pmid: 10822244
references.citation: BMC Geriatr. 2005 Sep 08;5:11
references.pmid: 16150147
references.citation: Health Care Financ Rev. 1997 Fall;19(1):105-20
references.pmid: 10179994
references.citation: Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2004 Aug;37(4):316-26
references.pmid: 15338161
references.citation: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 May-Jun;12(3):240-9
references.pmid: 15126224
references.citation: J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2001 Winter;14(4):179-87
references.pmid: 11794446
references.citation: Int Psychogeriatr. 2008 Dec;20(6):1160-76
references.pmid: 18606044
references.citation: Scand J Soc Med. 1993 Dec;21(4):247-55
references.pmid: 8310277
references.citation: Int Psychogeriatr. 1996 Winter;8(4):525-47
references.pmid: 9147168
references.citation: Drugs Aging. 2002;19(3):203-15
references.pmid: 12027778
references.citation: BMC Health Serv Res. 2009 Jun 06;9:91
references.pmid: 19500383
references.citation: J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2008 Aug;20(8):423-8
references.pmid: 18786017
references.citation: Gerontologist. 2003 Aug;43(4):521-31
references.pmid: 12937331
references.citation: Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 1998 Mar-Apr;9(2):111-6
references.pmid: 9524803
references.citation: Neurology. 2006 Nov 14;67(9):1592-9
references.pmid: 17101889
references.citation: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2000 Sep;15(9):838-47
references.pmid: 10984731
references.citation: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 1999 Nov;14(11):915-24
references.pmid: 10556862
references.citation: Soc Work. 1999 Nov;44(6):535-48
references.pmid: 10568026
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2005 Dec 12;5:133
references.pmid: 16343336
references.citation: Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2006 Dec;39(6):429-42
references.pmid: 17160738