title: Advance care treatment plan (ACT-Plan) for African American family caregivers: a pilot study.
abstract: Research is limited on end-of-life treatment decisions made by African American family caregivers. In a pilot study, we examined the feasibility of implementing an advance care treatment plan (ACT-Plan), a group-based education intervention, with African American dementia caregivers. Theoretically based, the ACT-Plan included strategies to enhance knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral skills to make end-of-life treatment plans in advance. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding were end-of-life treatments discussed in the ACT-Plan. In a four-week pre/posttest two-group design at urban adult day care centers, 68 caregivers were assigned to the ACT-Plan or attention-control health promotion conditions. Findings strongly suggest that the ACT-Plan intervention is feasible and appropriate for African American caregivers. Self-efficacy and knowledge about dementia, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and tube feeding increased for ACT-Plan participants but not for the attention-control. More ACT-Plan than attention-control participants developed advance care plans for demented relatives. Findings warrant a randomized efficacy trial.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Gloria J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bonner
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Diana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilkie
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ferrans
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dancy
authors.forename: Yashika
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watkins
mesh_terms: D032722:Advance Care Planning; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000193:education; D017028:Caregivers; D002641:Chicago; D003657:Decision Making; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D014504:Urban Health
keywords: African Americans; advance care planning; dementia caregivers