Caregiving Curricula

Caregiving can be infused into an existing psychology course or into multiple sections of an existing course. For example in a course on the psychology of aging, older adults’ sensory, physical and cognitive impairments, could be studied in terms of the demands for care they place upon family members. A caregiving lecture could also be incorporated into a course in developmental psychology to demonstrate how caregiving may impact children, adults, and families. The Health Resources and Services Administration has developed a curriculum, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementiasopens in new window. The curriculum contains 16 core modules, each with a PowerPoint presentation including detailed notes and a reference list - to assist in teaching, and other presentations. The curriculum also includes supplemental modules to help providers and caregivers address challenges of the caregiving role.

Caregiving is a relevant topic for courses on:

• Adult Development and Aging
• Behavioral Psychology
• Child Development
• Counseling Psychology
• Cross-Cultural Psychology
• Current Issues in Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Family Policy
• Family Therapy
• Family Violence
• Gender Roles
• Health Psychology
• Military Psychology or Psychology of War
• Neurocognitive Assessment and Treatment
• Organizational Behavior
• Pediatric Psychology
• Psychology and Aging
• Psychology of Diversity
• Research Methods in Aging
• School or Educational Psychology
• Work and Family

Reference

Health Resources and Services Administration (2018) Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias https://bhw.hrsa.gov/grants/geriatrics/alzheimers-curriculumopens in new window

Courses specifically on caregiving can be developed. For example, Dr. William Haley, a psychology professor at the University of South Florida, has created two graduate courses on caregiving, entitled “Family Caregiving in Aging and Chronic Illness” and  “Seminar in Health and Aging--Family Caregiving.” Additional sample syllabi relevant to aging issues relevant to caregiving have been collected and posted onlineopens in new window by APA’s Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging).

Caregiving Lectures

A caregiving lecture could include the following topics:

• Background: distinction between informal and formal caregivers, common characteristics of caregivers, caregiving tasks 
• Stress and coping models 
• End-Of-Life issues including advance care planning 
• Long-distance caregiving 
• Technologies to help caregivers (e.g., GPS tracking, home video monitoring) 
• Policies to support caregivers (e.g., Family and Medical Leave Act, Older Americans Act: National Family Caregiver Support Program) and unmet needs
• Resources for caregivers and where they can be found 
• Differential caregiving outcomes by race/ethnicity, gender, relationship type, etc. 
• Employment and caregiving: work-related difficulties including work to family and family to work spillover, cutting back work hours, taking a leave of absence, receive negative feedback about job performance, lose job benefits, stop working, etc. 
• Publicly accessible datasets from national studies that study caregiving within larger research projects on epidemiology and health

Faculty may also present workshops in their local communities for caregivers on how to take care of their loved ones in a sustainable fashion. Workshops can educate caregivers on topics such as:

• Accessing Resources for Caregiver Respite Care
• Assisting with Activities of Daily Living
• Avoiding Burnout
• Balancing Caregiving Duties with Other Family Roles
• Caring for Older Adults with Dementia
• Challenges of Parenting a Chronically Ill Child
• Educational Options for Children with Disabilities
• Emotional and Legal Tasks of Preparing for End of Life
• Financial Planning
• How to Begin End of Life Care Planning
• How to Deal with a Loved One’s Behavioral Problems
• How to Develop an Effective Family Caregiving Plan
• How to Get the Most From Your Loved One’s Medical Visit
• How to Recruit Siblings and Other Relatives for a Caregiving Plan
• How to Stay Connected as a Long-Distance Caregiver
• Making the Decision to Enter Hospice Care
• Recognizing and Building Your Resilience
• Self-Care for Caregivers
• Time Management
• Understanding Neurocognitive Assessment

A number of organizations have archived webinars and tools online for professionals and caregivers including the:

• Family Caregiver Allianceopens in new window on topics such as daily care, planning for care, and caregiver assessment.
• American Society on Aging (ASA)’sopens in new window “Home Instead Family Caregiver Support Web Seminar Series” on a variety of topics that will help those caring for an older adult. 
• U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA)opens in new window Caregiver Support Program offers practical tips and tools on managing medications, talking with providers and suicide prevention. 
• APA Division 20 has also compiled an extensive list of educational videos related to family caregiving geared for patients, families, and professionals. 
• The Gerontological Society of Americaopens in new window has webinars on topics including: “Translating Basic Research on the Aging Family to Caregiving Intervention”, “US Aging Policy - What You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know” and “How to Help Older Adults Prepare for Disasters.”

Reference

Goldenberg, D. & Iwasiw, C. (1993) Professional socialization of students as an outcome of a senior clinical preceptorship experience. Nurse Education Today. 13, 13–15.