epic: an intervention for early-stage ad dyads - adapted for virtual delivery

Conditions: Dementia; Alzheimer Disease; Memory Loss

Summary: epic ii (early-stage partners in care) is a research project designed to assist people with early-stage memory loss and their care partners by providing early-stage related education and skill-training sessions, held via zoom, designed to reduce stress, enhance well-being, manage challenges, and plan for the future. researchers will gather feedback from individuals about their experience to continue to improve programs for early-stage memory loss.

the purpose of this study is to help early-stage individuals who have early-stage memory loss or early stage dementia and their current or future care partners by providing education and skill-training programs, held via zoom, designed to reduce stress and distress, increase well-being and quality of life, and plan for the future. about 160 early-stage dyads (person with early-stage dementia and his/her care partner) will be enrolled across the united states through arizona state university. people who decide to voluntarily participate in this program, will be asked to: * meet others with memory loss and their care partners. * attend six group sessions via zoom (2 hours \& 30 minutes each) to learn strategies to help handle new situations, reduce stress, improve mood, communicate better with each other, and plan for the future. * participate in one 90-minute individualized session via zoom to address specific issues that may be unique to each dyad's situation. * participate in three 2-hour confidential interviews that involve questions about background, mood, and quality of life. * participate in interviews at the start, and again about 3 and 6 months, via zoom, to help us to continue to improve the program. * attend several monthly booster sessions after completion of the seven epic sessions. each person will receive up to $45 for completing all follow-up interviews, or $20- 25 for each interview completed. all participants are offered the epic sessions shortly after their first interview or shortly after their 3-month interview. some participants will also attend an additional free education workshop within one month of the initial assessment.

Eligibility criteria:
dyad inclusion criteria: 1. all participants - care partners (cp) and early-stage people (ep) - will be at least 18 years of age and speak, read, and write english or spanish. 2. eligible dyad relationships include spouse, adult-child relationships (e.g., daughters), and other close friends and family members. 3. care partners must self-identify as the person who currently has or who expects to have the most hands-on responsibility and ongoing involvement with the ep. 4. cps must live with or have regular contact with the ep. 5. eps and cps must reside in a community setting. ep inclusion criteria: 1. live at home rather than an institutional setting, 2. have a confirmed diagnosis of or symptoms consistent with early-stage dementia 3. exhibit changes in memory as specified on the ad8 dementia screening tool. 4. have a mini-mental state exam (mmse)i score within a protocol-specified range. 5. have a cp who is defined by the ep as being the unpaid "family member" who has or will have primary responsibility for providing assistance to the ep ep exclusion criteria: 1. denying or not reporting any trouble with memory, based on self-report 2. normal cognition, based on score derived from screening tool 3. if yes to both: 1. severe mental illness or developmental disability before the age of 45 2. memory problems due to past head injury

Keywords: early-stage dementia early-stage alzheimer's disease care partner caregivers caregiving