Development of a Massive Open Online Course for carers of people living with dementia to support continence caregiving: a co-design approach

Background There is a lack of information and guidance about strategies to engage consumers in the design and evaluation of resources about continence care for family carers of people living with dementia in the community. Aim The aim of the paper is to describe the process undertaken to co-design a Massive Open Online Course to address the information and support needs of family carers of people living with dementia and continence care needs. Methods A mixed methods approach was used, characterised by: (i) the establishment of a safe environment for carers to share their experiences; (ii) the co-design of course content; and (iii) an iterative process for feedback. Results The project resulted in the development of an engaging interactive Massive Open Online Course about caregiving, dementia and incontinence that has been accessed by 5051 learners from a diverse range of countries to date. Conclusion Co-design methods were effective in eliciting information and designing course content that better supported family carers addressing the continence care needs of people living with a diagnosis of dementia.