Honors Thesis Series: Preparing for My Honors Thesis on Supporting Dementia Caregivers

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My Honors Thesis is the culmination of the work I have done throughout my undergraduate career, encompassing both academic and extracurricular experiences that inspired the idea for my project. For my Honors Thesis, I am creating a virtual support group for individuals who care for loved ones with dementia. The project is titled The Springfield Area Virtual Dementia Caregiver Support Group.

Where I found my inspiration

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Volunteering at a caregiver event hosted by the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition

Inspiration for this support group mainly came from the work I do with the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition, an organization that works to raise awareness and provide resources to make Springfield supportive of individuals with dementia. After working with the coalition for several years, I began to notice a need for a support group that wasn’t solely focused on Alzheimer’s, and one that would be available more often than a traditional group that meets weekly or biweekly. I then thought back to my volunteer experience at Crisis Text Line, a text-based mental health support and crisis intervention system available 24/7. 

After realizing how important it is for individuals to have 24/7 support, I decided to design the support group to be run through a private Facebook chat group that is available whenever someone is in need. 

What I have accomplished so far

So far, I have completed my literature review, which included information from ten sources focusing on caregiver burden, support group facilitation, and healing practices for caregivers. Following this, I began recruiting caregivers for the support group by advertising on Facebook, distributing flyers to elder care services in Western Massachusetts, and sharing the information with the Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition’s community network.

I am continuing to recruit more caregivers for the support group to ensure as many participants as possible before its official launch. In the meantime, I have been working on creating a weekly newsletter to be distributed virtually. The newsletter features discussion questions, resources, positive affirmations, and supplemental content.

To ensure effective facilitation of the support group, I completed the Alzheimer’s Association volunteer training program with my local community sponsor, Meghan Lemay. This four-hour training provided me with the resources and knowledge necessary to lead the support group successfully.

Photo courtesy of Springfield Dementia Friendly Coalition Facebook

What happens next

The next stage of my thesis involves officially launching the support group. To prepare, I will share a pre-assessment form with participants to gauge their feelings and well-being before the program begins, enabling me to measure the group’s impact at the conclusion of my research. Currently, I plan to keep the Facebook group open and active as long as participants remain engaged. However, my thesis will focus on the activities and outcomes of the support group from February to April.

Caring for a loved one with dementia is a difficult task, so I will be accepting new caregivers into the group at any time. 

I am looking forward to the second half of my thesis project and am excited to begin working with caregivers from across the local community!