Using care navigation to address caregiver burden in dementia: A qualitative case study analysis

Introduction: Many caregivers of people with dementia experience burden and resulting health effects due to the intensive nature of caregiving. Phone- and web-based care navigation is an innovative model of care that may be useful in addressing caregiver burden in dementia. Methods: Qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, and case study analysis) were used to identify care navigator approaches used to address caregiver burden in dementia as part of a dementia care navigation program. Results: Care navigators targeted caregiver burden by focusing on strategies to reduce caregiver guilt and frustration, manage patient-related behavior, address caregiver depression, and improve the relationship between the caregiver and person with dementia. The case studies presented demonstrate the ways that care navigators identified patient and caregiver needs and tailored their approaches to meet the specific social, cultural, economic, and geographic contexts of the dyads with which they worked. Discussion: Findings provide insights into strategies used to address caregiver burden through care navigation. Care navigators who speak the same language as the caregivers with whom they work and who have an in-depth understanding of the symptoms of different dementia syndromes may be particularly effective.