C2.03 - Oral: A Diversity-sensitive Online Self-help Program for Family Caregivers of Turkish Migrants with Dementia in Germany

Brief Abstract Summary: Find out about the ‘Diversity-On’ study that aims to reduce the burden of family caregivers of Turkish migrants with dementia in Germany. Research shows that caregivers face high levels of stress, yet common self-help methods are often underutilized. This study uses a storytelling approach to create and evaluate a participatory, diversity-sensitive online self-help program that is responsive to diverse identities and experiences.
With its intersectional focus, the study aims to encourage participation in self-help groups among caregivers, thereby reducing their burden and improving their well-being. The goal is to expand home care arrangements that align with the values of care recipients and their families. The study intends to develop and assess a customized online self-help resource that is suitable for a diverse range of users and that will remain accessible beyond the study period.

Detailed abstract description: Caring can often be physically and psychologically demanding for family caregivers. To minimize the risks to their health and to prevent premature institutionalization or inadequate care for people with dementia, it is imperative that adequate support is made available to family caregivers. Self-help formats are still rarely used by family caregivers of people with dementia. The aim of the ‘Diversity-On’ study is to create an online self-help platform that encourages participation and that takes into account the diversity of participants.
This self-help platform uses storytelling as a method and is specifically tailored to family caregivers of Turkish migrants with dementia. This group of participants serves as an illustrative example of the heterogeneous and diverse population that requires individualized and diversity-sensitive support, also taking into account intersectionality with other diversity characteristics. The online self-help platform will provide a forum for family caregivers with similar characteristics or who find themselves in a similar care situation and enable them to exchange information in order to increase their self-efficacy. In doing so, the aim is to alleviate the burden associated with the care situation and to strengthen their autonomy within their specific life contexts, ultimately improving their self-management skills.
We illustrate how a mixed methods design was used to develop and evaluate an intervention that addresses the identified needs of family caregivers. The study design comprises the allocation and implementation of the intervention, the development of stories as well as both a process (N = 20) and outcome evaluation (quantitative: N = 130, qualitative: N = 20). A co-design approach was employed to develop the storytelling intervention: The online self-help service was developed in a participatory manner in collaboration with members of a family council. The storytelling method was used to develop care-related, open-ended stories to be used to facilitate communication in the support groups. The project emphasizes an intersectional perspective to identify and address increased inequalities and barriers when multiple diversity characteristics are present simultaneously.