The Dementia Caregiver Care Planning Tool: Development and Pilot Implementation

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Coinciding with the growth of basic and clinical research on Alzheimer's disease (AD), the study of family care for persons with AD or associated dementias has advanced considerably in the last three decades. A range of psychosocial interventions exists to help family caregivers manage and cope with the various challenges of dementia. These strategies include support groups, skills-based training, education, psycho- therapeutic models, and multi-component protocols. Although the evidence base of dementia caregiver intervention efficacy has expanded, there remains little guidance for families as to which particular intervention model is best suited for their diverse care needs. The proposed project aims to fill this gap between scientific inquiry and clinical practice by developing and piloting an interactive web-based tool (the Dementia Caregiver Care Planning Tool, or DCCPT) that can facilitate the care planning process for dementia care giving families which remains fraught with potentially disruptive care transitions (e.g., onset, disability, institutionalization, etc.), unanswered questions, or ill-informed selection of service. The Specifc Aims of this project are as follows: 1) Conduct a synthesis of existing meta-analyses and systematic reviews as well as an updated meta-analysis to identify specific intervention strategies that are most effective in reducing stress and delaying nursing home admission for particular types of dementia caregivers; 2) Use an online scenario strategy to obtain recommendations from 200 clinical and research experts to more fully identify interventions that are most appropriate for various dementia caregivers; 3) Develop the web-based DCCPT portal for families to help identify potentially beneficial services; and 4) Complete a [feasibility study of the DCCPT with 40 dementia caregivers that collects information on treatment delivery (accuracy of DCCPT presentation), treatment receipt (how the DCCPT is utilized), and treatment enactment (how the DCCPT influences everyday dementia care). It is anticipated the DCCPT will result in individualized intervention recommendations for families and provide ample support to caregivers who are searching for appropriate services throughout the progression of a relative's dementia. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Although the evidence base of dementia caregiver intervention efficacy has expanded, there remains little guidance for families as to which particular intervention model is best suited for their particular care needs. The proposed project aims to fill this gap between scientific inquiry and clinical practice by developing and piloting a interactive web-based tool (the Dementia Caregiver Care Planning Tool, or DCCPT) that can facilitate the care planning process of dementia care giving families which remains fraught with potentially disruptive care transitions (e.g., onset, disability, institutionalization, etc.), unanswered questions, or ill- informed selection of service. It is anticipated the DCCPT will result in individualized intervention recommendations for families and provide ample support to caregivers who are searching for appropriate services throughout the progression of a relative's dementia.