I-ACE training trial aims to reduce professional caregiver burnout in dementia through body-emotional literacy

Caregiving for individuals with dementia (PWD) is profoundly challenging, leading to high rates of burnout and reduced well-being among professional caregivers in nursing homes. Traditional non-pharmacological therapies (NPT) often focus on PWD, but caregiver support is crucial for quality of care. The current standard of care frequently overlooks the emotional and bodily aspects of the caregiver-PWD relationship, contributing to stress and compassion fatigue. This trial addresses this gap by exploring how enhanced emotional-behavioral reading of body language and self-other emotional recognition can mitigate caregiver burnout and foster a more empathetic care environment.

This clinical trial will evaluate the Integration Between Learning, Body and Emotions (I-ACE) training program. Professional caregivers will participate in twenty-two sessions: two theoretical meetings on dementia and NPT, ten supervision meetings discussing NPT implementation cases, and ten meetings exploring bodily aspects of the relationship through theatrical exercises. Cases will be re-discussed using a body-emotional approach. Researchers will compare the I-ACE group against an active control group and a usual care control group. Primary endpoints include professional caregiver burnout, ability to understand PWD emotions, salivary oxytocin levels, sense of competence, ethical workplace climate, and perceived resident quality of life.

As a clinical trial protocol, this study has not yet reported findings; instead, it outlines the intended measurements and hypotheses. The primary aim is to determine if I-ACE training reduces professional caregiver burnout. Secondary outcomes include assessing improvements in caregivers' ability to understand and respond to the emotions of PWD, particularly from eye signals. The trial also hypothesizes an increase in salivary oxytocin levels, indicating enhanced predisposition to relationship building.

The study will measure changes in caregivers' sense of competence, the ethical climate within the workplace, and the team's perception of the resident's quality of life. These metrics will be compared across the I-ACE group, an active control, and a usual care control to establish the training's efficacy in fostering a more supportive and emotionally intelligent care environment for both caregivers and PWD.