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Background: This study aims to examine whether coping strategies employed by caregivers are related to distinct symptoms of patients with dementia and to investigate the associations between burden and coping among caregivers of patients with dementia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 57 caregivers of patients with dementia were enrolled. Coping strategies were assessed using the Ways of Coping Checklist, and burden was assessed using the Chinese version of Caregiver Burden Inventory. Correlations between coping and patients’ behavior or memory problems were examined. Severities of behavior and memory problems were adjusted to examine the correlations between caregiver burden and coping strategies. Results: The patients’ disruptive behavior problems were associated with avoidance, and depression problems were associated with avoidance and wishful thinking. After adjusting for severity of behavior problems, coping strategies using avoidance were positively correlated with caregiver burden. Conclusions: Emotion-focused coping strategies are a marker of caregiver burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Problems: According to current surveys conducted between September and December 2011, the accuracy of primary caregiver-administered Home Total Parenteral Nutrition Care (HTPNC) was 62.0%. Further, nursing staffs provide instruction on HTPNC to only 22.2% of caregivers responsible for administering HTPNC. Main related causes were: (1) difficult to comprehend health education tools; (2) inconsistent nursing guidelines; (3) a lack of relevant standard operating procedures; and (4) poor caregiver adoption of TPN skills., Purpose: This project was developed to (1) increase the accuracy of primary caregiver-administered HTPNC to 90% and (2) increase the percentage of nurse-administered HTPNC to 90%., Resolutions: We developed appropriate nursing guidelines, created a health education CD-ROM with input from a cross-disciplinary team and total parenteral nutrition focus group, designed reusable teaching model aids for repetitive practice, and held regular group health education sessions., Results: The nursing staff HTPNC instruction rate increased to 100%. Caregiver HTPNC implementation accuracy increased to 100% prior to patient discharge., Conclusions: This approach was successful in achieving its stated goals. Further, using reusable teaching model aids may reduce caregiver anxiety and increase caregiver confidence. The greatest benefit of this project was its extension of teaching model aids to relevant units, allowing for routine monitoring by the department of nursing quality management.

This paper reports on a nurse's experience helping alleviate psychosomatic symptoms in a psychiatric outpatient suffering from depression. It was found that the OPD patient had been suffering from depression as well as long-time tension and pain. Between April 10th and July 24th, 2008, the author employed holistic nursing assessment and collected data through both observation and interview. Three major care problems were identified, including ineffective individual coping, chronic pain, and sleep disturbance. Focusing nursing care on relaxation techniques and biofeedback, the author discussed the problems with the patient and then implemented relaxation training and biofeedback training sessions as well as nursing care plans, which averaged 45~60 minutes per time for 8 times. Sessions included interviews, relaxation techniques (e.g., progressive muscular relaxation, meditative relaxation, meditation, music and abdominal breathing) and visual feedback measured by a biofeedback device with a thermistor sensor. During sessions, the patient was clearly motivated to change and participated actively. Furthermore, the patient not only became gradually aware of both the inner feeling of relaxation and etiology of psychosomatic symptoms, but also learned relaxation strategies for coping with life stressors. After therapy, the patient's self-control over relaxation had improved considerably and care problems were resolved satisfactorily. Also, the patient could increasingly incorporate relaxation into daily life routines.

The objective of this project was to increase the rate of participation in relevant educational programs of immediate relatives of individuals currently undergoing psychiatric treatment. According to statistics, the average participation rate in such educational programs averages only 23.4%; a ratio considered unacceptably low. After analysis, major problems identified included: (1) relatives were not informed in advance of meeting schedules; (2) there was no standard manner by which hospitals communicated with relatives; (3) interaction between patients and their families was, in general, poor; (4) program staff were unable to ensure that relatives knew correct meeting times; and (5) relatives generally lacked interest in health education topics. A special project group was organized and charged to improve the rate of participation of psychiatric patient relatives in health education groups. Three proposals made by this group included: (1) create an annual patient relative attendance planning schedule; (2) implement a patient "life passport" for use as a standardized tool in day hospital care; and (3) arrange time after education activities for patient-parent interaction. After measures were implemented, patient relative participation in education programs rose to 64.8% from 23.4%. Results demonstrate method feasibility and validity. As the proposed method does not require nurses to send out notifications or conduct follow-ups over the phone, it indirectly cuts down costs and manpower and improves patient-family relations, ultimately raising the quality of nursing care.

The experiences during nine meetings with a psychotherapy outpatient suffering from low self-esteem between 1/1/02 to 4/10/02. Using comprehensive nursing assessment practices for guidance, two conclusions were arrived at regarding the patient's mental health: a) an imbalance in individual response ability, and b) long-term problems with low self-esteem. This assessment was used to help the authors practice appropriate nursing skills associated with assertiveness training and cognitive therapy and to establish a trusting, caring, and accepting relationship with the client. The treatment plan included attempts to increase personal confidence and to promote suitable skills for improving living functions, enhancing relationships, and practicing social behavior.