Biomedical subjects

Shannon E Jarrott

Publications and source records attributed to Shannon E Jarrott.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Service learning at dementia care programs: an orientation and training program.

The present paper describes a project that addresses the unique challenge service-learners face at dementia care programs. The project was conducted in conjunction with two courses on aging that offer students a service-learning (S-L) option at a university adult day service (ADS) program that accepts service-learners from these courses. The intervention consisted of two elements: (a) an orientation and follow- up sessions in which students learned about the causes of dementia, the behavioral characteristics exhibited by persons with dementia, and the best methods of interacting effectively with cognitively impaired persons; and (b) a structured scrapbook project for service-learners to exercise their new knowledge and skills. The authors designed the project to increase students' comfort in the dementia care setting and to facilitate students' knowledge of the elderly. The following sections describe the project and its procedures, benefits, and challenges. Recommendations for continuing the project and for adapting the project to other dementia sites are provided.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Service-learners at dementia care programs:an intervention for improving contact, comfort, and attitudes.

Service-Learning can be a rewarding and challenging experience for students. One of the rewards for students can be the connection between their course work and real life experience. However, students interacting with populations with which they have limited prior experience face unique challenges. We developed a training program designed to facilitate comfort with older adults who have dementia for service-learners in a gerontology course who were serving at an Adult Day Services (ADS) program. Students in the course completed pre- and post-surveys assessing level of contact with older adults and attitudes on aging. Service-learners serving at the ADS comprised the treatment group (n = 5) while those serving at other S-L sites made up the control group (n = 11). Independent and paired sample t-tests indicated that the training program contributed to intra-individual and group differences in comfort working with older adults and with adults who are cognitively impaired. Differences in attitudes about older adults were also identified. Implications for adult development courses involving S-L at dementia care programs are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Adult day service use and reductions in caregiving hours: effects on stress and psychological well-being for dementia caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine whether adult day service use interacts with decreases in primary caregiving hours (i.e. the time caregivers spent on activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living, memory problems, and behavior problems for patients) to alleviate caregiver stress and negative mental health over time. METHODS: Three-month longitudinal data from the Adult Day Care Collaborative Study (n=400) were used. RESULTS: Decreases in memory problem hours among adult day service users were associated with reduced feelings of role overload; decreases in ADL hours among non-users were associated with decreases in worry and strain over a three-month period. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that adult day services are potentially effective in restructuring caregiving time and providing respite to family members.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

Respite for dementia caregivers: the effects of adult day service use on caregiving hours and care demands.

The objective of this study was to determine whether adult day service use was related to decreases in primary caregiving hours (i.e., the time caregivers spent on activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living and behavior problems for care recipients) and care recipient function for these domains. Three-month longitudinal data from the Adult Day Care Collaborative Study (N = 400) were used. Adult day service users reported greater decreases in hours spent on behavior problems when compared to nonusers, even after controlling for baseline differences between the two groups. In addition, adult day service users reported decreased frequency of behavior problems in their relatives who attended adult day programs. The findings suggest that adult day services, if used over time, are effective in restructuring caregiving time and may offer potential benefits not only to family caregivers but to community-residing older adults who have dementia as well.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Intergenerational activities involving persons with dementia: an observational assessment.

Although benefits of intergenerational programs (IGP) have been identified for older adults, adults with dementia are rarely targeted for such programs. Characteristics of dementia challenge caregivers to find appropriate activities that successfully engage the adults. With consideration of participants' abilities and interests, beneficial IGP can be facilitated. A co-located program for children and seniors was assessed for effects of IGP on adults with dementia. Results indicate that affect was higher during IGP for treatment group members than during non-IGP activities for treatment and comparison group members. Behaviors supporting personhood were common during IGP and non-IGP activities for treatment and comparison group members. Cognitive ability was unassociated with participation in IGP and affect during IGP. Findings suggest IGPs are appropriate and effective for persons with dementia.

Affect↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Instrumental help and caregivers' distress: effects of change in informal and formal help.

Family caregivers of persons with dementia rely on a range of resources to provide care and cope with caregiving stressors. Informal (unpaid) and formal (paid) instrumental support contribute to diverse caregiver outcomes. Previous research of caregiver support has focused on subjective measures of help or has compared caregivers receiving formal services to those who do not. We focused instead on the effects of change in the amount of formal and informal instrumental assistance on caregivers' distress. We expected that greater gains in assistance would be associated with greater reduction of caregivers' distress. Increases informal but not informal levels of assistance were associated with improvement in each measure of distress. Additional measures may be needed to fully understand the effects of informal and formal assistance.

Adaptation, Psychological↗