Capacity Building in Alzheimer's Disease (AD): Lessons Learned from a Pilot Study in Six Distinct Areas of Lebanon

Aims: To report the results of a week-long Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pilot training and capacity building program for community caregivers in Lebanon.
Study Design: Using mixed methods instruments, we collected participant demographics, measured participant understanding of baseline issues affecting the local aging population, the role of caregivers, and confidence in community supports. Knowledge gaps and challenges in AD care were identified.
Place and Duration of Study: Six distinct areas of Lebanon including Tripoli, Keserwan/Jbeil, Beirut, Bekaa Valley, Sarafand and Nabatieh, from August 1-6, 2011.
Methodology: Using mixed methods instruments, we measured participant understanding of baseline issues affecting the local aging population, the role of caregivers, and confidence in community supports. We also examined the usefulness of existing AD resources, identified characteristics of these front-line providers, and elicited details about educational and clinical needs in distinct religious and ethnic regions.
Results: Of workshop participants, 94% were women, of whom 36% were 31 to 40 years-of-age. Of the participants, 80% were social workers or nurses, and 65% were government employees. Participant motivation included a desire to mentor others (71%), improve communication with elders (69%), and better elderly care (61%). Participants said they learned most age-sensitivity training (74.4%), positive behavioral supports (60%), and strategies for difficult behaviors (55.6%). Incomplete evaluations and workshop fatigue negatively impacted data outcomes.
Conclusion: Cross-cultural understanding of AD training in diverse settings is critical to developing appropriate training programs. Results underscore that community workers, the primary caregivers of AD patients in Lebanon, are sensitized to the disease, and through training, felt empowered to advance elders’ quality of care. Study challenges included group heterogeneous backgrounds, unfamiliarity with evaluation methods and the timing of the workshop, the summer heat and time of fasting.