Online support groups for carers of people living with dementia: an investigation of videoconferencing support groups in lockdown
Online support groups for carers of people living with dementia: an investigation of videoconferencing support groups in lockdown
BACKGROUND: this study aimed to explore the experiences of carers of people living with dementia who participated in videoconferencing support groups during the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate their preferences and experiences with online, hybrid, and face-to-face support.
METHODS: this convergent mixed methods design study utilised an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Interviews took place over videoconferencing software and were analysed through thematic analysis. Participants were recruited from support groups based in the UK and Ireland.
RESULTS: 39 carers of people living with dementia completed the questionnaire and 16 carers participated in interviews. Participants found videoconferencing support groups more convenient, but face-to-face groups more enjoyable. Participants who had found it difficult to access face-to-face groups prior to COVID-19 expressed more positive perceptions of videoconference-based groups. Many felt that hybrid groups would make it easier for more people to attend. However, some carers described lacking the resources and technological skills to participate in online support groups effectively. Some suggested making IT training available may improve the capacity of carers to access support online.
CONCLUSION: videoconferencing support groups can be an appropriate way of supporting carers of people with dementia, especially for those who do not have access to face-to-face support groups. However, face-to-face support remains important to carers and should be made available when it can be implemented safely. Hybrid support groups could allow for increased accessibility while still providing the option of face-to-face contact for those who prefer it or are not adept with technology.
Humans, Social Support, Caregivers, Pandemics, COVID-19, Dementia, Communicable Disease Control, Self-Help Groups, Videoconferencing
561-575
McLoughlin, Bethany
d629dba9-6d5c-4e2b-8002-3dd66755788c
Atherton, Helen
9bb8932e-7bb7-4781-ab97-114613de99b1
MacArtney, John
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Dale, Jeremy
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1 April 2023
McLoughlin, Bethany
d629dba9-6d5c-4e2b-8002-3dd66755788c
Atherton, Helen
9bb8932e-7bb7-4781-ab97-114613de99b1
MacArtney, John
67e99cdb-679d-4440-b3f0-3e73534ddf8c
Dale, Jeremy
19fccbd2-1661-4d84-8a94-36bedb12a0e2
McLoughlin, Bethany, Atherton, Helen, MacArtney, John and Dale, Jeremy
(2023)
Online support groups for carers of people living with dementia: an investigation of videoconferencing support groups in lockdown.
Dementia, 22 (3), .
(doi:10.1177/14713012231153431).
Abstract
BACKGROUND: this study aimed to explore the experiences of carers of people living with dementia who participated in videoconferencing support groups during the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate their preferences and experiences with online, hybrid, and face-to-face support.
METHODS: this convergent mixed methods design study utilised an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Interviews took place over videoconferencing software and were analysed through thematic analysis. Participants were recruited from support groups based in the UK and Ireland.
RESULTS: 39 carers of people living with dementia completed the questionnaire and 16 carers participated in interviews. Participants found videoconferencing support groups more convenient, but face-to-face groups more enjoyable. Participants who had found it difficult to access face-to-face groups prior to COVID-19 expressed more positive perceptions of videoconference-based groups. Many felt that hybrid groups would make it easier for more people to attend. However, some carers described lacking the resources and technological skills to participate in online support groups effectively. Some suggested making IT training available may improve the capacity of carers to access support online.
CONCLUSION: videoconferencing support groups can be an appropriate way of supporting carers of people with dementia, especially for those who do not have access to face-to-face support groups. However, face-to-face support remains important to carers and should be made available when it can be implemented safely. Hybrid support groups could allow for increased accessibility while still providing the option of face-to-face contact for those who prefer it or are not adept with technology.
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mcloughlin-et-al-2023-online-support-groups-for-carers-of-people-living-with-dementia-an-investigation-of
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e-pub ahead of print date: 19 January 2023
Published date: 1 April 2023
Keywords:
Humans, Social Support, Caregivers, Pandemics, COVID-19, Dementia, Communicable Disease Control, Self-Help Groups, Videoconferencing
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 486618
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/486618
ISSN: 1471-3012
PURE UUID: 590780b7-907a-4b19-a811-0714c492eb15
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Date deposited: 26 Jan 2024 18:03
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:18
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Contributors
Author:
Bethany McLoughlin
Author:
Helen Atherton
Author:
John MacArtney
Author:
Jeremy Dale
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