Evaluation of AID-COM, a communication-focused program for family carers of people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease: A pilot study (innovative practice)

Background: Families providing care to relatives with Alzheimer's disease are quickly destabilized by changes that disrupt communication. Methods: This pilot mixed-design study aimed to provide a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a communication-based training program for carers of people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Five participants received three training sessions. The use of communication strategies by participants and their effectiveness were evaluated before and after the training, and a focus group was conducted to gather participants' impressions about the impacts of the training on communication with the person they cared for. Conclusions: The AID-COM (AID for COMmunication) program appears to have met expectations.