Online Medication Management Educational Program for Caregivers of People Living with Dementia

Award Date: 2018

Project Lead(s): Samantha Yau

Project Title: Online Medication Management Educational Program for Caregivers of People Living with Dementia

People with dementia are prescribed a number of medications that may help to control some of the symptoms of the disease, such as memory problems, behavioural symptoms, sleep problems, mood and mental health issues and pain/discomfort.  People with dementia often need help managing their medications and require support from their family caregivers. Medication management is a complex aspect of caregiving for which caregivers require educational support. People with dementia often have trouble remembering to take medications they are prescribed or they may become confused about which medications to take. They are also at increased risk for potentially dangerous side effects from certain medications. Caregivers need access to timely information, enhanced knowledge and skills in the area of dementia, specifically focused on medication concerns to ultimately improve the quality of care of people with dementia, as well as their own quality of life. Lack of proper medication management precipitates early admission to long term care facilities. To address these concerns, we propose a caregiver-focused online educational program that will focus on enhancing family caregivers’ knowledge and skills in medication management for their relatives living with dementia. The program will help caregivers understand what to expect by arming caregivers with a solid understanding of medications, drug interactions, etc. The program will consist of a series of interactive online modules with accompanying resources.