An Innovative Psychosocial Intervention for Adult-Child Caregivers of Parents With Alzheimer's Disease
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Alzheimer Disease |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Neurology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 21 - 90 |
| Updated: | 4/2/2016 |
| Start Date: | September 2003 |
| End Date: | April 2008 |
| Contact: | Olanta Barton |
| Email: | olanta.barton@med.nyu.edu |
| Phone: | 212-263-5710 |
The goal of this project is to test an intervention designed to reduce the incidence and
magnitude of the negative effects, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression, frequently
experienced by adult children who are caregivers of a parent with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
magnitude of the negative effects, specifically stress, anxiety, and depression, frequently
experienced by adult children who are caregivers of a parent with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Caring for an elderly parent is a growing societal problem, and many studies have shown that
caring for a person with dementia can have a negative impact on a caregiver's psychological
and physical health, social life and career, and relationship with the patient. Stress and
coping models proposed in the AD caregiving literature, and general stress and coping
theories suggest that by improving caregivers' ability to cope and master the caregiving
situation, it is possible to avoid or ameliorate the negative emotional consequences of
caregiving.
Building upon the results of a pilot study, this study will formally test the efficacy of a
psychosocial intervention, based on a concept of caregiving that builds on the interests,
activities, and responsibilities of both the caregiver and patient in creating a care
strategy. The intervention is designed to reduce the negative effects frequently experienced
by adult children who care for a parent in the middle stage of Alzheimer's disease.
Caregivers will learn to engage with their parents in activities that are within the
patients' remaining functional and cognitive abilities. Caregivers will also be encouraged
to teach activities to other family members and paid caregivers. The study will also
evaluate a lower level of intervention, based on written materials.
It is expected that by increasing knowledge about AD and providing what may be a new
conceptual approach to relating to a parent at this point in the disease process, 1)
caregivers and patients may experience a higher level of satisfaction and gratification from
their interactions, 2) caregivers will gain a sense of control and mastery over a difficult
situation and thus feel more capable of coping and 3) the patient may maintain a higher
level of functioning.
A randomized treatment/control design will be used, and adult-child caregivers who
participate will be assigned to one of the two levels of intervention, each designed to
reduce stress, anxiety and depression. The benefits of each intervention will be evaluated
by looking at the change in scores on widely used measures of the anticipated outcomes among
caregivers in each group, and their relative benefits will be tested by comparing scores of
the caregivers in the two groups at two follow-up points, six and nine months after
baseline.
caring for a person with dementia can have a negative impact on a caregiver's psychological
and physical health, social life and career, and relationship with the patient. Stress and
coping models proposed in the AD caregiving literature, and general stress and coping
theories suggest that by improving caregivers' ability to cope and master the caregiving
situation, it is possible to avoid or ameliorate the negative emotional consequences of
caregiving.
Building upon the results of a pilot study, this study will formally test the efficacy of a
psychosocial intervention, based on a concept of caregiving that builds on the interests,
activities, and responsibilities of both the caregiver and patient in creating a care
strategy. The intervention is designed to reduce the negative effects frequently experienced
by adult children who care for a parent in the middle stage of Alzheimer's disease.
Caregivers will learn to engage with their parents in activities that are within the
patients' remaining functional and cognitive abilities. Caregivers will also be encouraged
to teach activities to other family members and paid caregivers. The study will also
evaluate a lower level of intervention, based on written materials.
It is expected that by increasing knowledge about AD and providing what may be a new
conceptual approach to relating to a parent at this point in the disease process, 1)
caregivers and patients may experience a higher level of satisfaction and gratification from
their interactions, 2) caregivers will gain a sense of control and mastery over a difficult
situation and thus feel more capable of coping and 3) the patient may maintain a higher
level of functioning.
A randomized treatment/control design will be used, and adult-child caregivers who
participate will be assigned to one of the two levels of intervention, each designed to
reduce stress, anxiety and depression. The benefits of each intervention will be evaluated
by looking at the change in scores on widely used measures of the anticipated outcomes among
caregivers in each group, and their relative benefits will be tested by comparing scores of
the caregivers in the two groups at two follow-up points, six and nine months after
baseline.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Men or women between the ages of 21 and 90
- Adult-child caring for at least one parent who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's
disease and is in the moderate stage
- Person with Alzheimer's disease must be living at home or in a congregate residential
setting that is like a home
- Caregiver must be willing to complete intake and follow-up questionnaires
- Caregiver must be willing to attend 2 workshops and 1 individual counseling session
Exclusion Criteria:
- Severe psychological or physical illness
- Unwillingness to participate in all aspects of the study
We found this trial at
1
site
New York, New York 10016
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