Caregiver Bootcamp

Emory University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Dementia

Treatments: Other: Synchronous/asynchronous online course

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT07006116

STUDY00007427

2P30AG064200-06 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will assess the preliminary efficacy of a synchronous/asynchronous psychoeducation program designed to promote caregiving mastery in the immediate time period after a dementia diagnosis. It will also study the effects on caregiver and care recipient well-being.

Full description

The Caregiver Bootcamp program will employ psychoeducational methods (expert instruction, expectation of active learning by participants, debriefing and coaching linked to participant reports of application of strategies and principles) to enhance the proposed mechanism of action of the intervention, the enhancement of caregiving mastery - the individual's self-acknowledgement of self-efficacy for coping with the stresses of the new caregiving role.

The program is meant to provide basic orientation to the situation: recognize the reality of the condition; understand the shifts in mindset that the immediate situation demands; begin to recognize the shift in responsibility that will have to occur; and take practical steps to prepare for the future. The program will combine 5 weekly small group 90-120-minute online sessions with asynchronous instructional materials delivered 2-4 days in between sessions.

Enrollment: 48 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. over the age of 21;
2. care partner/caregiver for a family or friend who has received a diagnosis of a form dementia from a healthcare provider in the last 6 months;
3. has access to an electronic device and/or access to broadband internet; and
4. able to speak and understand English. Caregivers are not required to be co-located with the care recipient.

Exclusion criteria

• considering moving the PLWD to an institutional setting within the next 6 months.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

48 participants in 1 patient group

Synchronous/asynchronous online course Participants

Experimental group

Description:

The program will combine 5 weekly small group (8 participants) 90-120-minute online sessions with asynchronous instructional materials delivered 2-4 days in between sessions. A time suited to all for the synchronous sessions will be identified. The research team will provide instructions for accessing the weekly sessions and asynchronous segments, and mail out supplemental course materials. The team will track online attendance, and the Canvas platform will enable them to monitor each individual's viewing of the asynchronous materials.

Treatment:

Other: Synchronous/asynchronous online course