Hanne Konradsen

Research problem and specific questions: The number of people with dementia (PWD) is estimated to be 250,000 in Sweden and 14 million in India by year 2050. In Sweden, PWD increasingly live in their own homes which is a norm in India. Family caregiving leads to stress, poor health and poor quality of life. In Sweden, in 2017, only 5% of the municipalities offered any kind of support to family caregivers (FC) whose native language was other than Swedish.The main research question in the Swedish part of the project is if an mHealth based intervention by community workers to improve caregiving competence of non-European immigrant FCs of PWD living at home is effective to reduce caregiver burden and depressive symptoms, and improve quality of life.Data and method: This randomized controlled study will include wait list control group. Participants from municipalities with high immigrant density in Stockholm County will randomly be assigned to the intervention group (n=44) and the wait list control group (n=44).Participants in the study will include i) FCs of PWD living at home and are recipients of the intervention and ii) Social care professionals (SCP) who will deliver the intervention.The intervention will be delivered through a mobile application (app) in 10 sessions on specific subjects to enhance caregiving competence of FCs, e.g., introduction to dementia, being a caregiver, mental strategies, mindset, activities, diet, sleep and where to find resources in the community. The intervention program will be adapted to the Swedish and Indian contexts.Outcomes will be measured quantitatively at baseline, after completion of 10-week intervention in the intervention group and after another 10-week intervention in the control group. In-depth interviews will be performed with SCPs and FCs after the intervention to understand their experiences of the ease of use and practicality of the app. Analytics information logged on backend system will be used to assess usage of different features of the app.Plan for project realization: The study will combine expertise in public health, nursing, dementia care and mHealth from Sweden and India to design the intervention and project implementation. A technical company will be hired for development and operations of the app.Relevance: The intervention in the project provides a platform for community workers in India and Sweden to support FCs in their homes through an interactive mHealth tool irrespective of geographic distance.