Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Journal of Applied Gerontology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
0733464809333883v1
28/4/419    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Roberts, J. S.
Right arrow Articles by Silverio, E.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Evaluation of an Education and Support Program for Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease

J. Scott Roberts

University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor

Elaine Silverio

Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter, Watertown

This study evaluated an existing education and support program specifically designed for early stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). The "Taking Control of Alzheimer's Disease" series is an Alzheimer's Association-sponsored, four-session program that combines didactic and interactive activities for both persons with early-stage dementia and their care-partners. Seventy-four participants across nine series (37 persons with dementia, 37 care-partners) provided data. Participants expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the program (e.g., 71% gave it a letter grade of "A," 99% found it helpful). No significant changes from baseline were observed in AD knowledge, coping self-efficacy, or psychosocial adjustment to illness. At 3-month follow-up, participants were more likely than at baseline to be engaged in numerous AD-related coping and health behaviors, including participation in a support group (68% vs. 17%) and legal/financial planning (66% vs. 31%). Findings suggest numerous potential benefits from education and support programs specifically designed for early-stage AD.

Key Words: dementia • adjustment to illness • psychosocial intervention

This version was published on August 1, 2009

Journal of Applied Gerontology, Vol. 28, No. 4, 419-435 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0733464809333883
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?