Dementelcoach: effect of telephone coaching on carers of community-dwelling people with dementia

Background: Dementelcoach is a new telephone intervention to support informal caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia. The effectiveness of this intervention was evaluated on burden and mental health problems of informal caregivers. Methods: A pre-test/post-test comparison group design was used with three groups of informal caregivers. Two of the groups were experimental and received either (1) telephone coaching or (2) telephone coaching in combination with respite care (psychogeriatric day care); the third was a comparison group which received day care only. Telephone coaching was offered by trained coaches once every two to three weeks over a period of 20 weeks. Results: Informal caregivers who received telephone coaching in combination with respite care reported significantly less burden compared to caregivers who received telecoaching only, and they experienced significantly fewer mental health problems than those who received day care only. Conclusion: Telecoaching according to the principles of Dementelcoach combined with respite care (psychogeriatric day care) is more effective in reducing burden and health complaints in informal caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia than telecoaching or day care only.