Lovely Abankwa, Amy Eckels, Abosede Bello, Matt Bruce

Program Overview  Stress relieving intervention targeting caregivers of loved ones with dementia.  Health Belief Model.  Learning activities.

Target Population  St. John United Church of Christ in Granite City, Illinois.  The congregation consists of people ages 55 and older.  Community population of Granite City  29,758 people  15% senior over age 65 compared to state average (12.5%)

Needs Assessment  Written Questionnaire: - Surveyed 14 caregivers - 8 survey questions - 9 out of 14 participants had caregiving experience caring for a person with dementia. - Majority of the participants were interested in health education programs and activities developed to help caregivers cope with stress and care for loved ones with dementia.

Mission Statement  The mission of Caregivers are Heroes is to increase the knowledge of caregivers by providing them with resources and ways to cope with stressful situations when caring for loved ones with dementia.

Goals  Our goal is to reduce the stress of caregivers of loved ones with dementia at St John United Church of Christ.  To increase the knowledge of dementia and awareness of available resources for caregivers of loved ones with dementia at St John United Church of Christ.

Evaluation Method  Pre-Test  Post-Test

Objective 1  At the end of Caregivers are Heroes program, 70% of the caregivers who participated in the program should be able to identify one way to appropriately communicate with a family member with dementia. Q: It is important to correct a person with dementia’s reality. (For example, they think the day is Monday when it is actually Tuesday). 1 Strongly Disagree 2 Disagree 3 Not Sure 4 Agree 5 Strongly Agree  Objective met: 75%

Objective 2  At the end of Caregivers are Heroes program, 70% of the caregivers who participated in the program should be able to identify three symptoms of stress on the body. Q: All of the following are symptoms of stress except? A. Dizziness B. Anger C. Poor concentration D. Increased sex drive  Objective met: 85%

Objective 3  At the end of Caregivers are Heroes program, 70% of the caregivers who participated in the program should be able to accurately identify one way on dealing with stress. Q: I deal with my stress by: 1. Listening to relaxing music 2. Thinking of pleasant things 3. Walking in the yard 4. Reading 5. Watching sports  Objective met: 75%

Objective 4  At the end of Caregivers are Heroes program, 70% of the caregivers who participated in the program should be able to identify the stress reduction technique of progressive muscle relaxation. Q: Learning to tense then relax specific muscles to relieve stress is called A. Bradford relaxation B. Progressive muscle relaxation C. Muscle technique D. Tension exercise  Objective met: 85%

Data Analysis

Recommendations/Reflections  Meet with your group members frequently  Keep in contact with community partners  Make to-do lists  Be able to accommodate for change  Tips for our target population  Very rewarding

Questions?