Daily care and supervision of a person living with dementia (PWD) has been defined as ?intense caregiving? and is associated with significant daily burdens and an overall threat to the caregiver?s quality of life. Despite evidence suggesting that negative consequence can be remediated with community-based supports, those services remain allusive to caregivers due to the systemic challenges of turning interventions into services. This R01 application provides proof-of-concept of GamePlan4Care (GP4C), a web-based technology enhancement of the traditional delivery format used for Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer?s Caregiver Health II (REACH II). GP4C automates key components of REACH II while preserving active engagement of caregivers in skill-building exercises and provides flexible tailoring of services based on the unique needs of the family caregiver.
AIM 1 will advance the current proof-of-concept GP4C into a viable delivery system for the REACH II intervention. Development activities will be guided by user interface/user experience (UI/UX) testing and integration of live support from a Dementia Care Specialist (DCS; i.e., interventionist). Development activities will be conducted by the Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH) Office of Digital Health with engagement of community-based organizations, 32 family caregivers, and 5 external advisors, with oversight by the GP4C research team during year 1.
AIM 2 will compare the relative impact of GP4C to an education-based online site called GP4C-Education on a wide range of family caregiver outcomes. Family caregivers will be randomized to one of the two conditions and will complete an assessment battery at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures will include the 5 domain measures of the REACH II quality of life outcome. Secondary outcomes will include caregiver?s self-efficacy, modified caregiver strain index (MCSI) and positive aspects of caregiving. Three community-based partners will designate a ?GP4C Champion? to promote the enrollment of 240 family caregiver who have computer access and report regular use of the internet. Use of GP4C and GP4C-Education and contact with DCS will be recorded by the system as implementation data. GP4C will fill a critical gap in caregiver support services as an evidence-based, internet-enabled system capable of providing immediate, tailored education and skills training to caregivers who can access live support from a DCS via phone or web-based video.
As the population of older adults grows, almost doubling in size from 2012 to 2040, so too will the need for family caregiving. Caregiving can lead to negative psychosocial outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and burden; social isolation and family conflict: financial strain due to costs of care; and some caregivers also experience negative health consequences. This project will test the value of GamePlan4Cae (GP4C) an evidence-based, internet-enabled system capable of providing immediate, tailored education and skills training to caregivers who can access live support from a DCS via phone or web-based video.
