Roybal Translational Research Center to Promote Context-Specific Caregiving Master

Prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is steadily rising, along with rises in an elderly population. Aging in place, the concept of residing within one’s home as they age, is a common goal for most older adults, and a supportive environment can help achieve such goals. However, onset of ADRD often derails one’s ability to age in place due to necessities of caregiving for support and safety. Onset of behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BSPD) creates additional burden on caregivers. Caregiver mastery is a tool that can dramatically reduce caregiver burden by providing training and skills needed to care for those with ADRD within the community setting. The purpose of research proposed in this application is to create caregiver mastery for persons caregiving for an adult with ADRD while they reside at home in the community. Because of additional health disparities and inequities created by residing in rural Appalachia, this study specifically focus on elements of caregiver mastery for persons living within rural, Appalachia Kentucky. The researchers hypothesize that a training intervention consisting of 1) education related to environment as an antecedent to behavior within the home, and 2) individualized training for caregivers to design and implement environmental modifications through use of cueing (i.e., environmental arrangement to decrease cognitive demands of the person with ADRD) will decrease burdensome BPSD and increase activity engagement within the home environment for persons with ADRD. In these projects, researchers will employ remote, telehealth delivery through occupational therapy and social work disciplines to maximize outreach to rural regions of Appalachia. This pilot work fits into a larger research program aimed to maximize elements of supportive environments within the home to increase quality of life, wellbeing, and dyad longevity for caregivers of persons with ADRD.