START-Nepal: Cultural Adaptation and Feasibility for Family Carers in Nepal

Our project has three main goals:

1. Translate and culturally adapt the START intervention in the Nepali context.
2. Test if the adapted program works well with family carers of people with dementia in Nepal.
3. Prepare the final version of the adapted program, called START-Nepal.

We will follow a five-step process to culturally adapt the intervention: 

1. Translate the START materials and gather input from relevant stakeholders, including family carers of people with dementia, through interviews and focus group discussions.
2. Use the feedback from step one to improve the intervention package.
3. Review the adapted intervention package to ensure it fits in the Nepali context.
4. Test the provisional adapted intervention package with family carers of people with dementia attending the Outpatient services at a university teaching hospital in Nepal to see how well it works and is acceptable.
5. Gather feedback from these tests and finalize the culturally adapted Nepali version of the START (START-Nepal) intervention package.

We will assess the program's success by measuring pre- and post-intervention changes in carers' well-being using standard scales, ease of recruitment and retention in the intervention, and how acceptable it is to them. This first-of-its-kind program for family carers in Nepal aims to reduce their burden, improve their well-being, and enhance care for relatives with dementia where institutional care options are limited. By adapting and expanding this program, we can reach more carers through local healthcare workers, positively impacting dementia care in Nepal.