Family caregiver competence in managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: A concept synthesis

Aim: This study aimed to identify the attributes of “family caregiver competence in managing behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia”. Methods: Six electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 1990 and June 2017 with the key words “dementia”, “behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia”, “caregiver”, “coping (managing)”, and “competence”. From the final fully reviewed 26 articles, descriptions related to family caregiver's dealing with behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia were extracted first. Then, based on Walker and Avant's concept synthesis, the concept of “family caregiver competence in managing behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia” was explored. Results: Four attributes, namely “Judging”, “Empathizing”, “Adjusting”, and “Reflecting”, comprised of ten categories were identified as constituting the concept of family caregiver competence in managing the behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia. As a meta competence, “reflecting” may play a significant role in improving family caregiver competence by interacting with the other dimensions of competence in managing symptoms. Conclusions: Based on the suggested conceptual model, education or training programs could be developed to improve family caregiver competence in managing behavioral psychological symptoms of dementia. To refine the attributes found in this study, field studies including observations of and interviews with family caregivers need to be conducted. Studies exploring the associations between these attributes are also of value.