WeCareAdvisor: A Web-Based Tool to Improve Quality of Life for Military Veterans With Dementia and Their Caregivers

University of Michigan

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2; Phase 1

Conditions: Alzheimer Disease; Memory Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Caregiver; Dementia

Treatments: Behavioral: WeCareAdvisor

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT04587583

HUM00117707

W81XWH-16-1-0551 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research will test the WeCareAdvisor tool for family caregivers of military veterans with dementia to help caregivers assess, manage and track behavioral symptoms and their contributing factors (e.g., pain, sleep disturbance), and that provides tailored strategies for in-home, medication-free behavior management. 60 caregiver-person with dementia dyads will be recruited (30 Treatment Group, 30 Wait-List Control Group).

Enrollment: 19 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Eligible caregivers must:

• Be the primary caregiver of a military veteran with dementia for at least 6 months and planning to remain the primary caregiver for the next 2 months
• Currently living with the person they are caring for (care recipient)
• Comfortable utilizing technology (e.g. computers, tablets, the internet)
• Have access to the internet and a computer or tablet device
• Plans to live in the area for the duration of the study

Care recipients (military veteran living with dementia) must:

• Exhibit at least one or more behavioral symptoms (any behavior at any frequency)
• Receiving psychotropic medication or cognitive enhancers will not exclude the care recipient.
• Have a clinical diagnosis of dementia (any type) per caregiver report.
• Be a military veteran.

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to read, speak or understand English
• Lack of regular access to a telephone, internet, technology (tablet or computer)
• Caregiver is unable to use a computer or tablet
• Person with dementia is not a military veteran

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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19 participants in 2 patient groups

WeCareAdvisor

Active Comparator group

Description:

immediate use of the WeCareAdvisor tool for a 1 month period

Treatment:

Behavioral: WeCareAdvisor

WeCareAdvisor after 1 month

Active Comparator group

Description:

after a wait period of 1 month, use of the WeCareAdvisor tool for a 1 month period

Treatment:

Behavioral: WeCareAdvisor