The Savvy Caregiver Program

Citation: Kally, Z., Cote, S., Gonzalez, J., Villarruel, M., Cherry, D., Howland, S., Higgins, M., Connolly, L., & Hepburn, K. (2014). The Savvy Caregiver Program: Impact of an Evidence-Based Intervention on the Well-Being of Ethnically Diverse Caregivers. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 57(6-7), 681–693. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2013.850584

Abstract

This article reports on the impact of the Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP) on English-speaking caregivers of Hispanic, Black/African American, and Asian/Pacific Islander descent. Caregivers completed a questionnaire prior to study enrollment, at 6 and 12 months post-enrollment. Caregivers in all 3 ethnic groups showed more caregiver competence, reduced depression, greater tolerance for care recipients’ memory problems, better management of their overall situation, and improved perception of that situation 6 months and 12 months post-enrollment. The study demonstrates that in the sample studied the SCP was as effective in helping ethnically diverse caregivers as it has shown to be with Caucasian caregivers.