Name : Yuniar Pukuk KesumaStudy program : Psychiatry, Specialist II Geriatric PsychiatryCounsellor : Dr.dr. Martina Wiwie S. Nasrun, Sp.KJ(K)Background:Dementia is a clinical syndrome characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities and memory deficits globally. About 90% of patients experience behavioral and psychological symptoms. The use of psychotropic drugs is influenced by the patient symptoms, burden of the caregiver, and the habit of health workers.Objective:To determine the effect of psychoeducation modules to caregivers to increase knowledge, decrease of psychotropic drugs, reduce symptoms and burden of caregivers.Methods:There are 2 steps of studies. The first was a qualitative study to create psychoeducation module and the second was to conduct a pre-experimental study (one group pretest-posttest study). Psychoeducation is given in 2 consecutive weeks.Results:Fourty caregivers of dementia patients aged 41.3 (± 9.72) years. The psychoeducation modules is associated with decreasing symptoms and the use of psychotropic drugs, increasing knowledge and decreasing the burden of caregivers. At the end, 23% of patients were able to stop using psychotropic drugs and 62% of patients reduced their dose and/or the amount of psychotropic drugs.Conclusion:The psychoeducation modules to caregivers is associated with a decrease of patient symptoms and the use of psychotropic drugs. Psychoeducation also increases the knowledge of the caregiver and decreases the burden of the caregiver so that this psychoeducation module can be an additional therapy for patients with dementia.
The value of personalized psychosocial interventions to address behavioral and psychological symptoms in people with dementia living in care home settings: a systematic review