Caring for a patient with dementia is associated with increased feelings of burden and depression. The proposed study will examine the efficacy of Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking - Dementia (FITT- Dementia), a multi-component, family-based, telephone intervention. Treatment strategies are based on assessment of key areas (e.g., mood, family functioning, social support, health) during each contact to ensure individualized application of interventions. This approach, initially designed for stroke caregivers, has been successfully modified for use with dementia caregivers by the PI and his research team as part of a development grant. The current project is designed to be an efficacy trial in which 274 dementia caregivers will be randomly assigned to receive either 6 months of FITT-Dementia or minimal telephone support. The intervention involves a fixed number of telephone contacts distributed over 6 months that focus on providing emotional support, directing caregivers to appropriate resources, encouraging caregivers to attend to their own physical, emotional, and social needs, and teaching caregivers strategies to cope with ongoing problems. Minimal telephone support will involve the same number of telephone contacts as the FITT-Dementia, although therapists will provide only reflective/empathic listening. Caregivers will undergo telephone assessments of their level of burden and depression conducted by an examiner blind to group membership. Assessments will be performed at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, and 9 months. The study will address the following aims: 1) To examine the efficacy of the FITT-Dementia for reducing burden and depression;2) To examine whether change in caregiver burden mediates the relationship between treatment and depression outcome;and 3) To identify caregiver and situational factors predicting the best response to FITT-Dementia treatment. A secondary aim of the proposed project is to determine preliminary cost effectiveness data for the FITT intervention compared to minimal telephone support. It is anticipated that results will support application of FITT-Dementia in the general community. There is continued need to identify interventions for dementia caregivers that can reduce burden and distress, yet still be accessible and easy to implement. The proposed study will test whether Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking-Dementia (FITT-D), a psychosocial intervention that is entirely delivered by telephone, can reduce distress in a large group of dementia caregivers. It is expected that study results will support application of FITT-D in the community.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NR010559-03
Application #
7629795
Study Section
Nursing Science: Adults and Older Adults Study Section (NSAA)
Program Officer
Wasserman, Joan
Project Start
2007-09-28
Project End
2012-05-31
Budget Start
2009-06-01
Budget End
2010-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$337,112
Indirect Cost
Name
Rhode Island Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
075710996
City
Providence
State
RI
Country
United States
Zip Code
02903
Pillemer, Sarah; Davis, Jennifer; Tremont, Geoffrey (2018) Gender effects on components of burden and depression among dementia caregivers. Aging Ment Health 22:1156-1161
Tremont, Geoffrey; Davis, Jennifer D; Ott, Brian R et al. (2017) Randomized Trial of the Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking-Caregiver for Dementia Caregivers: Use of Community and Healthcare Resources. J Am Geriatr Soc 65:924-930
Tremont, Geoffrey; Davis, Jennifer D; Papandonatos, George D et al. (2015) Psychosocial telephone intervention for dementia caregivers: A randomized, controlled trial. Alzheimers Dement 11:541-8
Rathier, Lucille A; Davis, Jennifer Duncan; Papandonatos, George D et al. (2015) Religious Coping in Caregivers of Family Members With Dementia. J Appl Gerontol 34:977-1000
Springate, Beth A; Tremont, Geoffrey (2014) Dimensions of caregiver burden in dementia: impact of demographic, mood, and care recipient variables. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 22:294-300
Tremont, Geoffrey; Davis, Jennifer; Papandonatos, George D et al. (2013) A telephone intervention for dementia caregivers: background, design, and baseline characteristics. Contemp Clin Trials 36:338-47
Epstein-Lubow, Gary; Gaudiano, Brandon; Darling, Ellen et al. (2012) Differences in depression severity in family caregivers of hospitalized individuals with dementia and family caregivers of outpatients with dementia. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 20:815-9
Springate, Beth A; Tremont, Geoffrey; Ott, Brian R (2012) Predicting functional impairments in cognitively impaired older adults using the Minnesota Cognitive Acuity Screen. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 25:195-200
Tremont, Geofrey (2011) Family caregiving in dementia. Med Health R I 94:36-8
LaFrance Jr, W C; Keitner, G I; Papandonatos, G D et al. (2010) Pilot pharmacologic randomized controlled trial for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Neurology 75:1166-73

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