VA Cultivating Access to Resources, Education, and Skills for Dementia Caregivers

According to VA estimates, nearly 500,000 Veterans suffer from dementia. There is currently
no cure for dementia. Ultimately, dementia will have a large impact on quality of life in
Veterans and families, lead to expensive nursing home placement, and decrease life expectancy
for patients and family caregivers. The experience of high burden in a caregiver for a
Veteran with dementia increases the likelihood of permanent nursing home placement and can
separate Veterans from their families. To address the high burden of caring for a Veteran
with dementia, the investigators aim to study the effect of a rehabilitative intervention for
family caregivers of Veterans with dementia. This novel approach will use video technology
that can reach caregivers in rural areas who do not have easy access to major VA medical
centers.

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion criteria -- Participants must:

- be adults (age 18)

- report distress associated with being the primary caregiver for a Veteran family
member with all-cause dementia

- reporting at least 2 of the following 6 items at baseline assessment: felt
overwhelmed, felt like they often needed to cry, were angry or frustrated, felt they
were cut off from family or friends, reported moderate to high levels of general
stress, or felt their health had declined

- provide at least one hour of care (supervision or direct assistance) per week over the
past 3 months (other sources of caregiving for the Veteran with dementia can also be
utilized; e.g., respite, home health aide, other family members, etc.)

- be proficient in spoken and written English

- be capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria -- Potential participants will be screened and excluded for:

- current or lifetime history of any psychiatric disorder with psychotic features

- prominent suicidal or homicidal ideation

- having met DSM-IV criteria for drug or alcohol abuse or dependence (except nicotine)
within the past six months

- presence of alcohol intoxication (by breathalyzer) or alcohol withdrawal (by exam)
during study recruitment or participation

- diagnosis of probable or possible dementia

- a Telephone Cognitive Screen score of < 20

- participation in another caregiver intervention within the past year

- lack of regular access to a telephone

- illness that would prevent 24 months of study participation

- planned transfer of care receiver to another caregiver or nursing home within 12
months