Empowering women in Lebanon through vocational training and job creation to respond to the needs of older people : training assessment

Abstract

The Institute of Development, Research, Advocacy, and Applied Care (IDRAAC) implemented a project under the title "Empowering women in Lebanon through Vocational Training and Job Creation to Respond to the Needs of Older People". This projects aim was to train women from low socio-economic backgrounds to become caregivers for Alzheimers patients at home. A pilot, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the training through administering a pre and post-test concerning their knowledge, attitude and behavior on caregiving and Alzheimers patients. Assessments were filled by 21 women recruited via purposive sampling. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. Results showed an improvement in knowledge, attitude and behaviour post training. Increase in knowledge showed to have a significant strong association with improvement in attitude, while there was a significant weak association with improvement of behavior. The participants gave very good feedback on the training and only had a few negative comments on the nursing home practical site. Recommendations for the sustainability of the training include following up certified women for any need of psychosocial support. Moreover, it is recommended to perform a long term assessment for the training and the project should be replicated on a larger national scale.