Caregiver Support Training for Dementia
(LST Trial)
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Case Western Reserve University
Must not be taking: Antidepressants
Disqualifiers: Non-English speakers, Prior LST participants, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?Learning Skills Together (LST) is a 6-week psychoeducational intervention focused on complex care (nursing) tasks completed by family caregivers to persons living with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. This study aims to test the efficacy of LST at reducing caregiver depression and negative appraisal of behavioral symptoms of dementia by building caregiver self-efficacy. To do this, eligible participants will be randomized into an intervention group (LST) or a control group condition focused on healthy living for family caregivers. Participants will be asked to complete surveys before and after participating in the intervention or the control condition to determine whether change in hypothesized outcomes can be attributed to the intervention condition.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you have started or changed depression treatment in the last 3 months, you may not be eligible to participate.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Caregiver Healthy Living Intervention, Learning Skills Together, Caregiver Healthy Living Intervention, Learning Skills Together Intervention, LST, Learning Skills Together Family Caregiver Complex Intervention?
The Learning Skills Together program showed that caregivers felt more confident in providing complex care tasks after participating, with improvements in their self-efficacy (belief in their ability to succeed) observed at both 4 and 8 weeks after the program. This suggests that the program can help caregivers feel more prepared and capable in their roles.
12345Is the Caregiver Support Training for Dementia safe for participants?
The Learning Skills Together program for caregivers of people with dementia was well-received, with participants reporting high satisfaction and finding the information easy to understand. There were no safety concerns reported in the study, suggesting it is generally safe for participants.
12678How does the Caregiver Support Training for Dementia treatment differ from other treatments for this condition?
The Caregiver Support Training for Dementia is unique because it focuses on empowering family caregivers through a psychoeducational program, improving their confidence and skills in providing complex care tasks for dementia patients, rather than directly treating the patients themselves.
12479Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adults who help care for a family member with Alzheimer's or related dementia, can attend most online sessions, and assist with daily living tasks. They must speak English, have not recently altered depression treatment, and don't plan to move the care recipient to a nursing facility soon.Inclusion Criteria
I am 18 years old or older.
I am a family member of someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's or related dementia.
Report a Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) rating for care recipients between 4 to 6
+3 more
Exclusion Criteria
I cannot read or speak English.
Participated in Learning Skills Together in the past
Plans to place the care recipient in a skilled nursing facility within the next 9 months (i.e., study duration)
+1 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants undergo a 6-week psychoeducational intervention focused on complex care tasks for family caregivers
6 weeks
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in caregiver self-efficacy, depression, and appraisal of behavioral symptoms of dementia
6 months
3 visits (virtual) at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-intervention
Participant Groups
The study tests Learning Skills Together (LST), a program designed to reduce caregiver depression by improving their ability to manage complex caregiving tasks. Participants will either receive LST or join a control group focusing on caregivers' health, comparing outcomes via surveys.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Learning Skills Together InterventionExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Complex care psychoeducation training intervention for family caregivers
Group II: Caregiver Healthy Living InterventionActive Control1 Intervention
Healthy living intervention for family caregivers
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Case Western Reserve UniversityLead Sponsor
National Institute on Aging (NIA)Collaborator
References
Caregiver self-efficacy improves following complex care training: Results from the Learning Skills Together pilot study. [2023]Family caregivers to persons living with dementia increasingly provide complex care tasks, though most (53%) do so without any training. "Complex care" includes medical/nursing tasks, as well as personal care tasks that require disease knowledge. Of the 67% of dementia caregivers who provide complex care, nearly half worry about making a mistake. To help caregivers feel more confident when providing complex care tasks, we developed and conducted a pilot study of the 4-week Learning Skills Together psychoeducation program (LST; N=35). Participants in LST reported high satisfaction with the program and found the information shared about complex care was easy to understand. Pre- and post-test data demonstrated improvements in mean caregiver self-efficacy at both 4-weeks and 8-weeks post-intervention (mean difference (MD)=1.0, SD= 1.6, p-value=0.004 and MD= 1.0, SD=2.2, p-value=0.038, respectively). Results demonstrate the potential for a brief psychoeducational program to prepare caregivers to provide complex care to persons living with dementia.
"Living Together with Dementia"-A psychoeducational group programme for family caregivers. [2022]To evaluate the effectiveness of the psychoeducational programme "Living together with dementia" applied to a group of family caregivers of people with dementia.
Caregiver active participation in psychoeducational intervention improved caregiving skills and competency. [2019]To determine whether giving dementia caregivers active psychoeducational intervention is more efficacious than passive intervention for improving their caregiving skills and reducing their caregiving burden.
Training programmes for family caregivers of people with dementia living at home: integrative review. [2018]To establish primary features of training programmes designed to assist family caregivers of people with dementia living at home and to propose a model programme based on literature findings.
Training family caregivers of patients with dementia. A structured workshop approach. [2019]The Minnesota Family Workshop consisted of seven weekly 2-hour sessions that provided education, family support, and skills training to primary family caregivers of patients with dementia, and other accompanying family members. The interdisciplinary faculty used a general stress and coping model to design the caregiver education program. To increase family involvement, the Minnesota Family Workshop required at least one other family member accompany the primary caregiver to the sessions. In addition, a concurrent adapted activity group was offered for the patients with dementia. This 14-hour curriculum with specific weekly objectives and activities detailed in this article was successful in reducing burden among caregivers of patients with dementia.
Clinical trial of a home safety toolkit for Alzheimer's disease. [2021]This randomized clinical trial tested a new self-directed educational intervention to improve caregiver competence to create a safer home environment for persons with dementia living in the community. The sample included 108 patient/caregiver dyads: the intervention group (n = 60) received the Home Safety Toolkit (HST), including a new booklet based on health literacy principles, and sample safety items to enhance self-efficacy to make home safety modifications. The control group (n = 48) received customary care. Participants completed measures at baseline and at twelve-week follow-up. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was used to test for significant group differences. All caregiver outcome variables improved in the intervention group more than in the control. Home safety was significant at P ≤ 0.001, caregiver strain at P ≤ 0.001, and caregiver self-efficacy at P = 0.002. Similarly, the care receiver outcome of risky behaviors and accidents was lower in the intervention group (P ≤ 0.001). The self-directed use of this Home Safety Toolkit activated the primary family caregiver to make the home safer for the person with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT) or related disorder. Improving the competence of informal caregivers is especially important for patients with DAT in light of all stakeholders reliance on their unpaid care.
"Living together with dementia": Training programme for family caregivers - A study protocol. [2022]The increased incidence of dementia places the family in the role of caregiver.It is important to create, to implement and to validate training programmes for family caregivers of people with dementia living at home.The programme "Living together with dementia" addressed in this protocol seeks to be a response to empower these caregivers.
An integrative group movement program for people with dementia and care partners together (Paired PLIÉ): initial process evaluation. [2023]Objectives: To understand feedback from participants in Paired PLIÉ (Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise), a novel, integrative group movement program for people with dementia and their care partners, in order to refine the intervention and study procedures.Method: Data sources included daily logs from the first Paired PLIÉ RCT group, final reflections from the second Paired PLIÉ RCT group, and responses to requests for feedback and letters of support from Paired PLIÉ community class participants. All data are reports from care partners. The qualitative coding process was iterative and conducted with a multidisciplinary team. The coding team began with a previously established framework that was modified and expanded to reflect emerging themes. Regular team meetings were held to confirm validity and to reach consensus around the coding system as it was developed and applied. Reliability was checked by having a second team member apply the coding system to a subset of the data.Results: Key themes that emerged included care partner-reported improvements in physical functioning, cognitive functioning, social/emotional functioning, and relationship quality that were attributed to participation in Paired PLIÉ. Opportunities to improve the intervention and reduce study burden were identified. Care partners who transitioned to the community class after participating in the Paired PLIÉ study reported ongoing benefits.Conclusion: These qualitative results show that people with dementia and their care partners can participate in and benefit from community-based programs like Paired PLIÉ that include both partners, and focus on building skills to maintain function and quality of life.
Alzheimer's disease caregiving information and skills. Part I: care recipient issues and concerns. [2007]Increasing attention has been given to testing clinical trials with family caregivers of the elderly. More recent intervention studies indicated that caregiver skill-building interventions may be more effective than information/support interventions. Researchers have given considerable attention to the content and support needed by family caregivers, but we know less about how this content and support translates into caregiver skills. This is the first in a series of three articles on a study in which qualitative methods were used to analyze summaries from the group component of a larger caregiver clinical trial. In this article we identify content and skills that dementia family caregivers need in addressing three major care recipient issues and concerns: (a) difficult behaviors and emotional responses, (b) personal and instrumental activities of daily living, and (c) cognitive decline.