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I'm a fourth year majoring in Biological Science from Orlando, Florida, and I'm planning on applying to Physician Assistant school after graduation.

Preliminary Evaluation of the African American Alzheimer's Caregiver Training and Support Project 2 (ACTS2) Facebook Live Workshop Series: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Abstract

The African-American Alzheimer’s Caregiver Training and Support Project 2 (ACTS2) is a faith-integrated, skills-training and support program for Black family caregivers of persons living with dementia in Florida. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ACTS2 initiated a bi-monthly Facebook Live Workshop series, offering practical information and resources for Black communities on dementia caregiving topics. Using mixed assessment methods, we evaluated viewer reach, engagement, and satisfaction with the workshop series. We used quantitative (e.g., online pre-registrations) and qualitative data (e.g., online evaluation surveys) to evaluate viewer reach, engagement, and satisfaction with 22 ACTS2 workshops, delivered from May 2020 to August 2023. The series reached a total of 1,193 individuals who pre-registered and at least 1,032 individuals who attended virtual workshops in live time. To date, the series reached at least 9,697 Facebook and 274 YouTube user views. Thematic analysis of attendee engagement revealed three themes: (1) requesting additional information and community resources; (2) attendees disclosing caregiving experiences; and (3) gratitude towards workshop presentations. From the pool of pre-registrants, 98 completed evaluation surveys. Most survey completers reported workshops were “extremely informative” or “very informative” (92.9%) and rated overall quality of workshops as “excellent” or “good” (90.8%). Three themes emerged from survey data: (1) gratitude for workshop presenters’ testimonies; (2) satisfaction with ACTS2 community resources; and (3) centering Black dementia caregiver experiences. Initial findings suggested that the ACTS2 Facebook Live Workshop series was successful in engaging community members across Florida while serving as a useful tool in providing information for Black dementia caregivers.

Keywords: Alzheimer's, Dementia, Caregiver, African American