The NYUCI timeline is a structured set of sessions that you will follow when working with families. The timeline includes:
Introductory Meeting
The NYUCI Introductory Meeting is an opportunity to meet and get to know the spousal or partner caregiver of the person with dementia. It consists of two parts, described below (Initial Contact and Intake Assessment).
- Initial Contact
Initial Contact is a screening session conducted either in person, on the phone, or on the computer via Zoom® that gives a counselor the opportunity to explain the NYUCI to the spouse or partner of the person with dementia, discuss how the NYUCI might help the primary caregiver and family, and determine whether the caregiver is eligible to participate.
- Intake Assessment
Once eligibility is determined, the next step is to schedule the NYUCI Intake Assessment with the spousal or partner caregiver of the person with dementia. Using a comprehensive intake assessment, the counselor will learn about their client’s caregiving expectations and needs while exploring their background, role as a caregiver, current situation, and relationship with the person with Alzheimer’s disease. This assessment may trigger thoughts about how caregiving has affected the client’s life and relationships with his or her spouse, family, and friends.
The assessment gives counselors a snapshot of the caregiver’s emotional and physical health, current social support, caregiving responsibilities, and other issues. After reviewing the completed assessment together with the caregiver to identify strengths, needs, and sources of future stress and family conflict, counseling is focused on needs identified in the assessment and the caregiver’s goals for the upcoming family counseling sessions, and a plan is made moving forward that best suits his or her situation. The NYUCI training will ensure that the counselor is prepared to offer strategies that were developed by the researchers and counselors who originally developed and conducted the intervention. Since each individual has a unique style of counseling, also learn how to integrate these strategies with their own clinical approach.
One-on-One Meeting
There are two “one-on-one” meetings built in to the NYUCI structure. In the First Individual Session, the counselor discusses with the caregiver how he/she might improve their own well-being and ability to care for their spouse or partner with dementia. If more information about the effects of Alzheimer’s disease is desired, the counselor will either provide it or guide the caregiver to reliable sources. A focus of this discussion will be the positive and negative aspects of their family members’ involvement in caregiving and the changes they would like to see. With this in mind, a discussion of which family members should be invited to the family meetings can take place.
Family Meetings
The primary caregiver can share perspectives and reactions to the changes in the person with Alzheimer’s disease. The counselor can help each family member to discuss how these changes have affected them, and their relationships. Differences in understanding of the illness and its implications for care can be resolved. The spouse/partner can talk about how they would like family members to be involved in caregiving. With the guidance of the counselor, family members will all be able to communicate more effectively and supportively with each other. Differences can be expressed constructively, and mutually acceptable solutions are identified. The strategies and skills developed in the family meetings will continue to be useful after the formal family meetings have concluded.
Summary Meeting
The other one-on-one meeting is the Second Individual Session, when the counselor reviews with the primary caregiver the results of the counseling sessions, the progress that has been made, what is working well, and issues yet to be resolved. They will talk about new insights gained into relationships with family members, and how these relationships are affected by the spouse/partner’s role as a caregiver and the changing circumstances of the person with dementia. They will also discuss how and when may be the appropriate time for the caregiver to access additional resources for themselves and for the person with dementia.
Ad Hoc Contacts
Ad hoc (as needed) contact with the counselor offers the spouse caregiver, and other participating family members, the opportunity to contact the counselor for emotional support, advice, and information about dementia and about reliable resources in response to questions or issues.
Measuring Change
The counselor may contact the spouse caregiver periodically to repeat the questionnaire that was filled out at the introductory meeting. This is an opportunity to compare current responses to those made at the start of counseling, to discuss changes in the spouse/partner’s role as a caregiver as well as in family relationships, and to identify new issues and discuss ways to resolve them.