Organizing educational and awareness-raising activities related to caring for cognitively impaired older adults at home

Abstract

The increase in life expectancy against the background of general demographic aging gives rise to a large number of social and economic problems. Cognitive healthcare occupies an important place among such problems. According to the World Health Organization, there were about 57 million people worldwide suffering from severe cognitive impairment in 2019. Experts predict an increase in this number to 152 million by 2050 (Global Population 2021). The onset and progression of cognitive impairment in an elderly person radically changes the quality of life of his or her entire family, as it requires daily physical and psycho-emotional efforts, entails large financial costs and affects social life. In addition, family members are often untrained people who do not have the necessary competencies, which may make them unable to provide proper care. This makes it necessary to supraising activities for their family members. The sought to assess the effectiveness of educational and awareness-raising activities related to cognitive impairment in older adults. To that end, the completed special training within the project School of Informal Care for Elderly Citizens and Disabled People delivered by the Novosibirsk Regional Gerontology Center, a state-owned social care organization. The also conducted a survey among other people who completed this training. Relatives of elderly people with cognitive impairment constituted over 30% of the total number of respondents. The study demonstrated that the respondents have a high level of awareness of various aspects of cognitive impairment in older adults. Further, the respondents noted that taking part in such training helps to reduce the stress level of caregivers. The conclude that the training ensures better quality of life of elderly people with cognitive impairment as a result of more competent efforts of their family members who, with proper knowledge and skills, are able to maintain the most comfortable psychological climate for themselves and their elderly relatives.