Trial of Empowered Conversations Dementia Carer Training
Empowered Conversations
Empowered Conversations is part of Age UK Salford’s Dementia Support Service. The Service now offers more support than ever to people in Salford affected by dementia. Caregivers want a simple, one-stop-shop of support from a diagnosis through to bereavement and beyond. Dementia Support Service provides this, from one-to-one online person-centred counselling & coaching support for carers, peer support and social groups for people affected by dementia through to a learning hub for self-development that includes training on legal and finance, carers rights, personal care and improving communications. The communication courses delivered by Empowered Conversation are available to all family caregivers across Greater Manchester.
Empowered Conversations is a six-session online course and a psychosocial intervention. In this feasibility trial participants are randomly allocated to the Empowered Conversations training intervention (plus treatment as usual), or the treatment as usual (TAU) waitlist control group. Carer self-report measures will be analysed at the start of the study and at a 6-month follow-up. Cost-effectiveness data will also be collected. Those in the TAU group will receive the Empowered Conversations training intervention at the end of their follow-up, assuming they still wish to receive it. Participants will also take part in qualitative interviews to explore their views of participating in the programme.
This project combines multidisciplinary expertise from the University of Manchester, the University of Salford, Age UK Salford and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit Programme (NIHR RfPB). The views expressed are not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.
For further information, visit the NIHR website.
Team
More information on the wider study team is available via https://empowered-conversations.co.uk/5-research/