A qualitative evaluation of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health in Vietnam (REACH VN) intervention: a multi-stakeholder perspective

OBJECTIVES: The primary goal of this study was to understand attitudes and experiences of a culturally tailored dementia intervention for Vietnamese family caregivers of people living with dementia (PLWD) from the perspectives of family caregivers and other stakeholders. METHOD: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 53 stakeholders (i.e. family caregivers, interventionists and their supervisors, and other staff and local officials) with direct or indirect knowledge of the intervention, which was delivered in the home over three months by local interventionists. Directed content analysis of the qualitative interview data was performed to identify themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: The process-oriented themes suggest that caregivers and interventionists encountered multiple barriers during the intervention process, and amid these challenges, face-to-face intervention was highly preferred among caregivers, and among multiple intervention components, some worked better for caregivers than others. The outcome-oriented themes highlight that participating in the intervention benefited not only caregivers but also health professionals, particularly the interventionists. CONCLUSION: Results highlight the need for further cultural modifications in problem-solving and mood management components, and the potential of the blended format of face-to-face and phone interventions to better fit the sociocultural context and cognitive capacity of most Vietnamese caregivers.