The Development of a Program to Identify and Manage Apathy in Residents with Korsakoff's Syndrome: A Qualitative Exploration of Patient, Family Caregiver, and Professional Caregiver Perspectives.

Background

Apathy is a neuropsychiatric symptom that is frequently present in nursing-home residents, including residents with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS). Although apathy is common in KS, treatment guidelines are lacking. The Shared Action for Breaking through Apathy (SABA) program, developed for people with dementia, was previously shown to be feasible in that group. The applicability of this program for the KS population seems promising, yet it was expected that the program would need to be adapted. This study aims to 1) explore what is important in identifying and managing apathy in individuals with KS, and 2) investigate the appropriate adjustments to the SABA program.

Methods

This qualitative study consisted of semi-structured interviews with people with KS (n = 3), family caregivers (one spouse and one sibling) and professional caregivers (two nurses), and a multidisciplinary focus group meeting with professional caregivers (n = 12) experienced in care for people with KS. The focus group meeting was performed to deepen the understanding of the interview findings and further explore recommendations for adjustments to the SABA program. Thematic analysis was used to process the data.

Results

Addressing aim 1, two themes were identified: (1) the challenge to appraise signals of apathy, and (2) the challenge to assess the needs of people with KS. Based on these themes, specific adjustments were formulated to respond to aim 2.

Conclusions

The themes that were identified in this study gave direction to a KS tailored SABA program, the feasibility of which needs to be studied next.