An Interprofessional Approach to Finding Ease in Caregiving: Team Collaboration Using Improv to Reduce Stress Among Caregivers

The Finding Ease in Caregiving Project lays the foundation for a unique interprofessional collaboration delivered by multiple professions including a musician, case manager, two nurses and a socio-environmental gerontologist. This novel intervention highlights the critical role of interprofessional teams working together to develop multifaceted patient-centered strategies to improve health outcomes.

One in ten Americans over age sixty-five has Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia (ADRD)- over five million individuals. While many caregiver’s express satisfaction in their role, they also face high rates of burnout, stress, and adverse health outcomes. Critically, there is also a need to develop interventions that can be completed where the caregiver is and that can lead to meaningful behavior change.
The Finding Ease in Caregiving Project was developed to assess the feasibility of an improv-based group intervention grounded in the Primal Alexander™ approach. The improvisation strategy was used to assist in developing self-efficacy to alter adverse behaviors and integrate mind-body awareness with creative problem-solving for caregivers of individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia, Alzheimer’s and other chronic illnesses. The intervention was developed to be specifically delivered online, reducing the burden on the caregiver.

Participants in this Lightning Talk will learn:

1. the advantages of having an interprofessional collaborative approach when working with caregivers;
2. about the development of future interventions for caregivers and demonstrate the ability to affect for change for caregivers through online-delivery methods; and
3. about an approach that facilitates getting out of our own way, making things easier, less stressful.