Effectiveness of LESTARI (Longitudinal Education and Skills Training in DementiA: Research and Implementation for Informal Caregivers) - A Protocol for Pilot Experimental Study.

Introduction: Caregivers are essential for people with dementia (PwD). In Indonesia, families often take on this role due to limited professionals, leading to high stress and burden. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of LESTARI project, a caregiver training program adapted from the WHO iSupport framework, aiming to reduce caregiver stress, reduce BPSD, and increase knowledge about delivering care to PwD. Moreover, caregiver satisfaction with the training program will also be assessed. Methods: A non-randomized controlled pilot study will involve primary caregivers of PwD, who will be equally assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group will participate in the LESTARI project, which comprises seven training sessions based on the Indonesian WHO's iSupport module. Accordingly, three sessions will be conducted face to face along with four online sessions, all comprising lectures, group discussions, relaxation, and self-reflection activities. The primary outcomes include reducing caregivers' stress and improving QoL, BPSD, and caregiving knowledge in the treatment group versus control. Secondary outcomes assess program acceptability, including session content, process, and hybrid delivery. Conclusion: This study expects the LESTARI training program to reduce caregiver stress, improve quality of life, BPSD, and caregiving knowledge. Secondary outcomes will include caregiver feedback and post-test improvements, supporting feasibility of a hybrid training model as an effective, culturally adapted approach for dementia caregiver support in Indonesia.