A Telephone Intervention for Dementia Caregivers

Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, Ri), Providence RI

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): The current project is designed to develop a low-cost, telephone-based intervention to reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of burden and stress in caregivers of patients with dementia, as well as to improve quality of life and family functioning. Secondary aims are to determine whether the intervention can reduce behavior problems in dementia patients and increase the time to institutionalization. The overall goal of the current project is to establish preliminary efficacy of the intervention to support an examination of the intervention in a subsequent large scale trial to be submitted as a future RO 1 application. The initial phase of the project will involve adapting an existing telephone-based intervention for stroke caregivers to use with caregivers of patients with dementia, as well as creating measures of treatment satisfaction and intervention compliance and adherence. The intervention will be pretested in fifteen dementia caregivers to collect feasibility and usability data to make further modifications of the intervention. A randomized, controlled pilot study will follow to compare the intervention to standard care for reducing caregiver distress. Seventy primary caregivers of patients formally diagnosed with dementia will be recruited. Caregivers in both groups will receive a resource packet containing information about caring for someone with dementia and a listing of local resources. Caregivers in the comparison group will not receive the intervention, but will not be restricted in their use of available, standard care interventions, The intervention group will receive a series of telephone calls over 12 months, during which emotional support and training in problem-solving skills will be provided by trained therapists. Caregivers in both groups will be assessed at pre-treatment, mid-treatment (6 months), post-treatment, and follow-up (3 months post-treatment) in their homes. It is hypothesized that the intervention will result in reduced caregiver burden and emotional distress, as well as improved quality of life and family functioning and increased use of community resources.