Exploring the Effectiveness the Attitude, Competence of Care, Empathy Among the Home Care Workers With Dementia People

More than 90% of people with mild and moderate level of dementia live at home in the community. The behaviors and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) would be severe by age, and often increases the difficulty and pressure for family caregivers. Also the outcome from the relative studies are limited.

This study develop a new virtual reality course for home care workers to experience the view of dementia people with BPSD and the relative feelings. After the intervention, the experimental group would completed the several scales of attitude of care, competence of care and empathy, then the factor analysis and correlation analysis were measured.

In the first stage, a single group pre and post test study was conducted to extract 10 home caregivers of dementia care from Hondao Senior Citizen's Welfare Foundation. In order to explore the VR course affect the attitude of care, competent of care and empathy towards the dementia people in community, and future career.

In the second stage, this study use quasi experimental design. The experimental group (n=65) and the control group (n=65) each have a pre- and post-test design. The experimental group uses virtual reality courses for intervention experience, while the control group does not have intervention. After the two post-tests are completed, then provide the same immersive 3D VR experience as the experimental group. The measurement tools in this study used three self-made scales focus on dementia care attitude scale, the dementia care competency scale and the virtual reality course experience scale and empathy scale. ANCOVA would be used for the correlation analysis above scales.

Home care workers can use VR as an appropriate interventions, to empathize with the situation, faced and recognize the weakness, frustration and emotional distress of dementia people. Then change the attitude and arise the competency of care, also should be considered for ensure that patients with dementia stay in good care quality.

Inclusion criteria

• is currently or has been serving as an in-home caregiver for a community-dwelling patient with dementia;
• aged 20 years and above
• conversant in Mandarin and Taiwanese
• agreed to participate in this study

Exclusion criteria

• age 19 years and below
• disagreed to participate in this study.