ABSTRACT
The review aimed to identify and describe dementia care interventions and programs that are culturally tailored to support racial and ethnic minority informal caregivers of community-dwelling people living with dementia (PLWD) to identify gaps in need. Culturally targeted interventions to support vulnerable minority informal caregivers are important in addressing the care needs of PLWD and eliminating racial and ethnic dementia disparities. Nevertheless, little is known about the existing interventions and programs that are culturally tailored to support racial and ethnic minority groups, in particular, African-American caregivers in the care of their family members. We conducted a Scoping review, searching eight databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of Science between January 2012 and June 2022. Our search identified 2669 records, of which 17 articles were included in the analysis. The review addressed how these interventions have been developed to meet the needs and preferences of minority caregivers, particularly, African-American caregivers in culturally responsive ways. Findings show that culturally tailored interventions have the potential to improve the caregiving ability of informal caregivers. Supporting informal caregivers appears to be an effective strategy often improving the well-being of PLWD and reducing caregiver burden. The review demonstrates the paucity and diversity of research on culturally tailored dementia interventions to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. This scoping review identified gaps in the existing literature and aims for future work to develop and investigate cultural tailoring of interventions.
ABSTRACT
The primary purpose of this study was to explore the needs and challenges of African American family caregivers of People living with dementia (PLWD) from the perspective of service providers including healthcare and social service providers. The study conducted three online semi-structured focus group interviews with service providers (n = 15). Data were analyzed using Braun & Clarke's guide to thematic analysis approach. Five themes emerged from the analysis of the focus group data: (i) Inadequate information about resources; (ii) Dementia education; (iii) Burden of dementia on families; (iv) Limited financial support and funding; and (v) Suggestions for needed resources. Service providers expressed the lack of community-based dementia service and support programs in African American communities. Findings from the study indicated the need to provide culturally appropriate information on dementia caregiving. This study adds to the scope of knowledge by exploring the processes of seeking help and using services.
