Caregivers’ awareness regarding the care of dementia and the coping strategies among the caregivers of people with dementia: a cross-sectional study in Udupi District, Karnataka

Abstract Objectives To assess the awareness and coping skills of the informal and formal caregivers of people living with dementia (PLWD). Dementia is a condition, which leads to memory loss and gradual deterioration of cognitive abilities in the affected person. The lack of awareness regarding the care of people with dementia and the caregivers’ poor coping strategies can negatively impact caregivers’ experiences. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the 80 caregivers of PLWD from the psychiatric units of the selected hospitals of Udupi district, Karnataka, India. The baseline data were collected by a self-reported sociodemographic questionnaire. The “Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale” was used to gauge participants’ awareness of the care of people with dementia, while the “Brief COPE inventory,” a 28-item questionnaire, was used to gauge carers’ coping mechanisms. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the data analysis using Jamovi (2.3.24), a graphical user interface for R programming, and Microsoft Excel. Results Most of the caregivers (n = 68, 85%) had lesser awareness regarding the care of people with dementia. The mean coping strategies score was 60.9 ± 7.71. There was a positive correlation between the awareness and the coping strategies scores among the caregivers ( r = 0.659, P < 0.05). Conclusions The caregivers of people with dementia often lack awareness about dementia and hence experience poor coping due to their high workload and stress. The frontline healthcare professionals and nurses need to provide appropriate interventions to the caregivers to improve their awareness about dementia and its care.