Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

  Background: Caring of elderly with Alzheimer's disease and communicate with them, is a chronic stressful process that have negative effect on caregiver's physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of communication skills training on perceived stress of caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer disease in 2012.

  Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental type . In this study, 91 caregivers of Alzheimer's patients referral to the Iranian Alzheimer Association, Tehran, Iran were selected and assigned into a control in the two groups (intervention (n=49) and control (n=49)) by using block randomization . Then, two groups were completed two questionnaires of demographic variables and perceived stress before the intervention. Educational program was designed according of pre-test results and conducted to the intervention gr oup. Two groups were followed-up one-month after the intervention. Seven participants in the intervention group refused to take part in the study. Statistical analysis of data was performed with SPSS software (Version 16) and Student’s paired-samples t test and Independent-samples t test. In this study, p<0.05 was considered significant.

  Results: The mean age of the caregivers in the intervention and control group was 52.23 ( ± 11) and 52.26 ( ± 13) yr old , respectively. In the control group, 85.7% were women and 81.6 % men. No significant differences were found in the demographic characteristics and the mean score of percieved stress (p=0.06) between the two groups before the intervention. Following the intervention, there is significant reductions in the mean score of perceived stress in the intervention group compared with the control group (p = 0.001).

  Conclusion: It is suggested that methods of verbal and non-verbal communication would be trained to caregivers of elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease in the Iranian Alzheimer Association and other related institues. This can lead to improve both caregiver's health and also their quality of care of elderly with Alzheimer's disease.