Table 1.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria
▪ Family caregiver:
- takes primary responsibility for the family care of a community dwelling patient with a clinical diagnosis of dementia
- is spouse, child (-in-law) or brother or sisters of the patient.
- lives together with the patient
▪ In each family, at least one other family member or close friend lives in the same region of the patient and caregiver.
▪ Both caregiver and patient have sufficient language proficiency in Dutch for adequate participation in meetings, interviews and tests.
Exclusion criteria
▪ Severe somatic or psychiatric co-morbidity of either caregiver or patient, which will significantly impair cooperation to the program.
▪ Caregiver has a depression or anxiety disorder at baseline
▪ Either caregiver or patient participates in other intervention studies at inclusion or during the study which may interfere substantially with the study outcomes.
▪ The patient is scheduled to move a nursing home in short notice.