Overview
Caring for people with dementia is challenging, especially in Latin American countries like Colombia, where the burden on caregivers is among the highest in the world. In Colombia, most caregivers are women (80-90%) who experience higher stress, more depression, and poorer health compared to men. Gender plays a big role in caregiving, but the specific needs of female caregivers, especially those with limited resources, are not well understood. Colombia lacks programs tailored to these women's needs, a trend seen across Latin America where gender perspectives and cultural differences are often overlooked in research and interventions.
Project Details
This project aims to create a comprehensive support program to improve the wellbeing of low-income women caregivers of people living with dementia in Bogotá. We will involve caregivers and other stakeholders in various stages of the project to ensure it meets their needs.
This project will unfold in three main steps:
- Identify Needs: We will study the key factors affecting the wellbeing of 106 women caregivers from low-income backgrounds through surveys and focus groups or interviews with 20 of them to understand their specific needs.
- Design the Program: Using the insights from the first step, we will work with dementia care experts, policymakers, and caregivers to design a prototype program. This program may include promoting healthy habits, providing education about dementia, mindfulness activities, phone support, and guidance on accessing health services and subsidies.
- Test the Program: We will field test the draft program with 24 caregivers using a mix of surveys and interviews before and after the program to see how well it works. This will help us refine the program for a larger trial. Our goal is to create a culturally sensitive, effective, and gender-focused program that addresses the unmet needs of low-income women caregivers by incorporating their experiences and feedback.
Results: The quantitative phase of the first step of the project has been completed where we assessed 145 women caregivers of people living with dementia in Bogotá. We found that 75% reported clinically significant levels of caregiver burden. Participants also showed high rates of depressive symptoms, anxiety, loneliness, and reduced psychological well-being. These outcomes were more closely associated with psychosocial factors—such as mental health, education, cognitive functioning, and perception of caregiving—than with the clinical condition of the person with dementia. Financial and information-related needs were the most frequently reported.
Members involved
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