Development and evaluation of a dyadic intervention for elderly couples living with moderate-stage Parkinson disease

PurposeThe purpose of this qualitative study was to develop, test and evaluate a dyadic intervention for elderly couples living with moderate-stage Parkinson disease.MethodsBased on Meleis's theory of transitions and following systemic and participatory approaches, the study comprised four steps informed by the intervention mapping process: 1) assessing couples' intervention needs, preferences and objectives; 2) developing and validating a dyadic intervention proposal; 3) formalizing the dyadic intervention; and 4) testing and evaluating the dyadic intervention.ResultsThe dyadic intervention consisted of seven 90-minutes sessions held every other week. Intervention content and strategies used were based on couples' needs, preferences and objectives, as well as specific theories, models and empirical findings.ConclusionThis study can assist nurses involved in different domains of practice and interested in developing and evaluating theoretically based dyadic interventions.