The objective of the Pilot Core of the Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties & Aging Research (STAR Center) is to conduct multidisciplinary scientific activities focused on developing, testing, and implementing interventions to increase social connectedness for middle age and older adults who provide care for a family member with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD). Interventions developed and supported by the STAR Center Pilot Core will be brief, acceptable to caregivers, and easily implemented in community settings. The Pilot Core will be responsible for growing the pipeline of investigators focused on caregiver interventions (Aim 1), supporting STAR Center scientific activities (Aim 2), and carrying out the scientific vision by conducting principle-driven pilot studies throughout all grant years and ushering the studies along the NIH Stage Model phases (Aim 3). The Pilot Core is administered by the Center's Management and Administrative Core to allow for integrated oversight of Center activities. The Pilot Core will build a portfolio of behavioral interventions to promote connectedness in diverse ADRD caregiving situations. Social disconnection in the context of caring for a loved one with ADRD is caused and maintained by a complex constellation of biopsychosocial factors. To effectively increase connectedness? or prevent the loss of connectedness?a diverse set of behavioral strategies are needed. The STAR Center Pilot Core will foster the development of a portfolio of behavioral interventions that can be combined in a stepped care, modular format to meet the needs and challenges of a diverse set of caregivers and usher promising interventions towards implementation and dissemination by understanding of mechanisms of action.
