失智症家屬支持團體成效初探

The Effect of Support Group for Families Caring for Demented Elderly

居家照顧失智老人對整個家庭系統造成衝擊，照顧者缺乏疾病及照顧的知識，又面臨多重角色之衝突、家人照顧責任分擔之糾葛，終致身心俱疲。照顧者迫切需要各種社會支持，而提供照顧者疾病知識、照顧方法、調適方式的最好方法是經由家屬支持團體。研究者以參與觀察的研究方式，實際收集家屬支持團體過程資料，並參考Yalom的治療因素來探討一個開放性失智症家屬支持團體的成效。結果發現明顯的治療因子有普遍性、希望的灌注、知識訊息傳授、利他性、情緒宣洩、團體凝聚力、發展社交技巧。

Taking care of a demented elderly has great impact to family system. Most of the caregivers do not have enough knowledge about dementia and the skills of caring demented people. Caregivers suffered from role conflict, overloading and negative emotions. Family caregivers need social support. Support group is an effective way to offer support. This article adopted Yalom’s therapeutic factors as a framework to explore the effect of support group for caregivers of demented elderly. The results indicate that universality、instillation of hope, imparting information, altruism, catharsis, group cohesion, development of social interaction techniques are therapeutic factors in support group for caregivers of demented elderly.