title: TANDEM: Communication training for informal caregivers of people with dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dementia increasingly diminishes the ability to communicate. We aimed to develop and evaluate a psychosocial intervention program that focuses on communication in dementia care. This was intended to enhance the quality of life (QoL) of people with dementia and to reduce the burden on their informal caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A training program for informal caregivers of people with dementia was developed. The training combines the expertise of geriatric psychiatry, geriatric care, and educational psychology. Caregivers acquire and deepen competencies required to improve communication in dementia care. The training was evaluated with a pre-post-control group design and time-series analyses. Twenty-four informal caregivers participated in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the study provide evidence that TANDEM training increases caregivers' use of strategies that are relevant for communication in dementia care and the care receivers' QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of research in this program show the relevance of including caregivers in interventions and the importance of communication for the QoL of people with dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine, and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, D-60528 Frankfurt a. M., Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haberstroh
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neumeyer
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franzmann
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pantel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome