Date

4-29-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Jeffrey Johnsen

Keywords

Dementia, Caregiver, Grief, Compassion, Burnout

Disciplines

Christianity | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

The problem at Tremont Church of God is that members offering caregiver support to their loved ones with dementia are unaware of the coping skills needed for support. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to provide an 8-week training program to teach caregivers techniques for managing their emotional and spiritual needs. The sample population for this project is church members over the age of 18 who are actively caregiving for a spouse or close relative with dementia. The sample size is between 10 and 15 participants. The training is located at Tremont COG. The training is in tandem with the Wednesday night classes. The training is conducted in 1-hour increments for 8 weeks. The data collection methods used for this training are a pre-test and a post-test administered at the beginning and end of the 8-week training, accompanied by open dialogue throughout the 8 weeks. The completion of this project helps identify other areas of need for caregivers and individuals living with dementia. Research participants included 8 females and 2 males, 5 participants were caring for a spouse, and others for close relatives. 6 research participants had been caring for less than 4 years, and 4 who had been caring for less than 1 year at the time of the training. 6 participants stated they had no additional support system for providing care. 8 out of 10 participants rated the training as having a good balance between theory and practice. All 10 participants stated they would recommend this training to other caregivers.

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