SUMMERSIDE - More Islanders who are caring for a loved one at home with memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer's disease are needed for a research study being spearheaded by a Kinkora native.
Dr. Janice Keefe, a professor of gerontology at Mount Saint Vincent University, leads a team of nurse trainees who are currently interviewing caregivers 65 years of age tending to spouses with various cognitive impairments.
The work has been ongoing for several months and the hope was to have 100 caregivers sign on to be interviewed.
So far, 80 caregivers have agreed to be part of the study with 24 coming from Prince Edward Island.
Time is ticking away for caregivers to sign up as funding for the study expires in March 2012.
"We're sort of trying to do a last pre-post Christmas blitz to see if there is anyone that would be interested in participating," said Keefe.
Five third-year UPEI nursing students are conducting interviews on P.E.I. and some are helping interview caregivers in Nova Scotia, where the remaining study participants are located.
The students are using the CARE (Caregivers' Aspirations, Realities and Expectations) tool developed by Keefe to interview caregivers.
Interviews are done face-to-face. The process takes about two hours, including pre and post interview follow-up. Participants are paid $50 for their time.
Keefe said organizations like the Alzheimer Society of P.E.I. have been helpful in connecting caregivers with the nursing students but more Islanders need to pick up the phone and talk about the challenges they face when caring for a loved one with dementia, memory loss or Alzheimer's.
Keefe said information these caregivers provide could help improve services provided by government and other organizations.
"Most of them are really happy to participate because they want to show how their experience might result in the journey being made easier for those who will be caregivers in the future," she added. "They actually, as strange as it sounds, enjoy the opportunity to talk to somebody in confidence about their whole situation and to learn about some services and support that might be helpful to them."
The process has also been beneficial to the nursing students.
"We do know that they seem to be benefiting a great deal from it themselves, learning about some of the experiences that older people have and just being a lot more cognizant of the caregiver because most of their training is focused on the patient," added Keefe.
Funding the study are the CIHR Institute of Aging, the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the Parkinson Society of Canada.
Caregivers wishing to participate can call 1-877-302-4440, email caretool@msvu.ca or visit www.msvu.ca/nsca/caregiverassessment.
nmacphee@journalpioneer.com
