Evaluating the Carter Institute Caregiver Education Program at the VA

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Caregivers

Treatments: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Caring for you, caring for me + social worker; Behavioral: Caring For You, Caring For Me

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00271375

IRB 2005-050240 (Other Identifier)

E4044-R

IRB 278-2005 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project implemented and evaluated the Rosalyn Carter Institute's (RCI's) educational and support program for caregivers, "Caring for You, Caring for Me." Specifically, it examined effects of the program upon family caregivers to older adults in the Atlanta area and elderly Veterans receiving outpatient primary care at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

Full description

Primary objectives of the research were:

1. to evaluate user satisfaction with and perceived utility of the "Caring for You, Caring for Me" caregiver educational program among formal (VHA staff) and informal (family) caregivers who undergo the program;
2. to assess effects of the program upon psychosocial and physical well-being of informal caregivers over a 1-year period .

Enrollment: 254 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Family members of Veterans aged 65+ years and receiving care through the Atlanta VAMC's Clinic and Atlanta area.
• Must be the primary caregiver to someone 55 and over.
• Must have been assisting with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) for at least 6 months prior to beginning the intervention.

Exclusion criteria

• Caregivers are automatically excluded if veteran has a terminal illness with six months or less to live.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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254 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Arm 1: Caring for you, Caring for me Educational Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Educational Intervention

Treatment:

Behavioral: Caring For You, Caring For Me

Arm 2: Caring for you, caring for me + social worker

Experimental group

Description:

Educational + Social Work Intervention

Treatment:

Behavioral: Caring for you, caring for me + social worker

Arm 3: Control group usual care

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Control group usual care

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control