Holistic Self-Care: Tai Chi, Qigong Training for Caregivers at an Alzheimer Disease Assisted Living Facility
Sunny Yim Alperson, Christianne Nesbitt Fowler
Annals of Long-Term Care Clinical Care and Aging October 12, 2017 DOI: 10.25270/altc.2017.10.00003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Intervention study (pre-post training evaluation) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Professional caregivers at an Alzheimer disease specialty center |
| Intervention | Mettā (loving kindness meditation) |
| Duration | 5 weeks |
| Measures | Mindful Self Compassion, Psychological Social Well-being, General Self-Efficacy, Positive and Negative Experience scales |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | A five-week program combining seven tai chi and qigong centering movements with loving kindness meditation was followed by significant improvements in caregiver Mindful Self Compassion, Psychological Social Well-being, General Self-Efficacy, and Positive and Negative Experience scales. The authors argue that self-directed loving kindness increases compassion for others, tying personal and professional development together, and propose this as a basis for a practical self-care intervention. |
Abstract
With the growing number of older persons with chronic illnesses, the demand for professionals who can provide complex care is increasing as well. However, evidence shows that health professionals’ burnout rate has been consistently increasing for the last 3 decades. In an effort to alleviate some of the issues associated with caregiver burnout, we conducted mind-body training of self-compassion for professional caregivers at an Alzheimer disease (AD) specialty center for 5 weeks. The intervention combined seven simple centering movements of tai chi and qigong in a context of mettā (loving kindness meditation) language mindfulness. Data showed significant improvements in caregiver Mindful Self Compassion, Psychological Social Well-being, General Self-Efficacy, and Positive and Negative Experience scales. In the context of improving health care delivery, the understanding that offering loving kindness to oneself increases compassion for others has significant implications, as it intertwines personal and professional development together. A research trajectory for future studies is suggested, which may lead to a practical self-care intervention for health care professionals.