Background & Goal
Family caregivers of those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias are a vulnerable population because many are, themselves, advanced in age, are under stress and have a sedentary lifestyle – making them potentially more vulnerable to increased mortality rates.
Caregiver Skill Building Intervention aims to improve the mental and physical health of family caregivers using behavioral health promotion interventions from the Rush College of Nursing.
Program Description
Caregiver Skill Building Intervention (CSBI) is a nurse-led, research-based program that provides psycho-educational interventions to address family caregiver skill-building and increase caregivers’ physical activity. The research reflects a nursing perspective in its basic clinical approach to asking the question: “What do family caregivers need?” It provides interventions that integrate a variety of theoretical perspectives. The interventions initially were delivered in a group setting where caregivers benefited by learning skills in a supportive group environment. To accommodate stressed and sedentary caregivers’ individual needs, the program now provides a multi-component, individualized home-based intervention that addresses a combination of needs.