The Effect of Nursing Counseling on Self-efficacy of Family Caregivers of the Elderly with Alzheimer

Abstract

Background: The goal of nursing interventions in family-centered care is to improve the abilities and self-efficacy of family members in order to remove health barriers; otherwise, they will not be able to overcome such barriers. Therefore, the present study was designed and implemented. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted using convenience sampling. Forty-two caregivers of elderly people with Alzheimer's were randomly assigned to two groups: Experimental and control. Nursing consultation was individual and conducted verbally, in person, or by telephone according to the caregiver's request or preference. The location, time, number of sessions, and content of consultations were adjusted according to the caregivers' needs. Data collection tools included a demographic information form, the General Self-efficacy Scale (GSE-10), the abbreviated mental test score (AMTS), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Questionnaires were completed before the intervention and one week after the intervention. Paired t-tests and independent t-tests were used in SPSS version 16. The P-value was considered to be 0.05. Results: The mean ± SD age of participants was 45.71 ± 10.50 years (experimental) and 44.86 ± 12.90 years (control). Care duration was longer in the experimental group (96.50 vs. 59 months). Post-intervention self-efficacy scores improved significantly in the experimental group (18.19 ± 5.11 to 29.04 ± 5.80; P < 0.001), while no significant change occurred in the control group. Conclusions: Nursing counseling significantly improved the self-efficacy of family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. These findings highlight the importance of structured counseling programs in enhancing caregivers’ abilities to manage care challenges effectively.