Effectiveness of Validation Therapy in Promoting More Positive Caregiving Experiences

The overall purpose of this project was to test the effectiveness of a very promising communication strategy for family caregivers to use in their interactions with disoriented loved ones. The strategy, Validation Therapy, created by Naomi Feil, is a communication technique designed primarily to use while interacting with people who are disoriented from Alzheimer's Disease or Alzheimer's like dementia. Naomi Feil describes validation as the process of communicating with a disoriented older person by validating and respecting their feelings in whatever time or place is real to them at the time, even though this may not correspond with our "here and now" reality. Validation Therapy classifies disorientation into four stages and offers specific techniques and skills to facilitate communication within each stage. Many professional caregivers have had personal accounts of success with Validation Therapy despite the lack of controlled studies determining its effectiveness. This pilot study assessed the effects of Validation Therapy on promoting more positive caregiving experiences for in-home family caregivers. The sample for this pilot study consisted of eight caregivers that attended support groups offered through the Utah chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. Study participants were trained in Validation Therapy during a pre-scheduled support group session and later completed three questionnaires on five separate occasions. Questionnaires measured the effectiveness of the training session, the level of burnout before and after Validation Therapy was used, and the effectiveness of Validation Therapy in promoting a more positive caregiving experience.