Powerful Tools for Caregivers of Dementia Patients

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to examine if a psycho-educational intervention for caregivers of patients with dementia will decrease caregiver burden, increase caregiver physical activity, and decrease the reporting of behavioral and psychological symptoms of the person with dementia.

Official Title
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Optimization of Powerful Tools for Caregivers of Dementia Patients

Conditions
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Caregivers, Dementia, Alzheimer Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Powerful Tools for Caregivers
* Other: Control with delayed intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Caregiver lives with or provides care for the care recipient for an average of at least 4 hours per day. Care for an individual with a physician diagnosis of dementia (mild to moderate stage of dementia). Care for a care recipient who experiences behavioral symptoms that bother or upset the caregiver moderately, very much, or extremely. The occurrence of problematic behaviors and caregivers' reactions will be assessed with 6-items adapted from the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (Teri et al 1992). Exclusion Criteria: Care for a care recipient who is bed-bound or has advanced dementia: Functional Assessment Staging (FAST)(Sclan & Reisberg 1992) stage 7. Caregiver's cognitive, hearing, visual, or other physical impairments lead to difficulty with informed consent process, assessment, or participation in the intervention. Caregiver who is involved in another trial that addresses caregiver burden or behavioral expressions.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Powerful Tools for Caregivers<br>A 6-week psycho-educational program | Behavioral: Powerful Tools for Caregivers<br>* Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a 6-week psychoeducational program. Each week the caregivers will attend a 90-minute workshop in a group setting. These sessions will be co-led by two trained and certified leaders who follow the scripted program. In addition to providing education about caregiving and the importance of self-care, the classes will help caregivers develop self-care tools to manage personal stress and improve communication skills.<br>|
| Other: Control group, delayed intervention<br>Control group with delayed intervention | Other: Control with delayed intervention<br>* Control with delayed intervention<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Caregiver Burden | Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale scores | 6 weeks | 
| Frequency and reaction to care recipient behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia | Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist scores | 6 weeks | 
| Frequency of care recipient agitated behaviors | Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory scores | 6 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Activity parameters as assessed by FitBit |  | 6 weeks | 
| Depressive symptoms | Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores | 6 weeks | 
| Caregiving Self-Efficacy | Caregiving Self-Efficacy Scale scores | 6 weeks | 
| Self-rated health | Single item In general, would you say your health is.... with response options from 1= poor to 5=excellent. | 6 weeks | 
| Life satisfaction | Single item I am satisfied with my life with response options from 0=Strongly disagree to 4=Strongly agree | 6 weeks | 
| Perceived change | Perceived Change Index score | 6 weeks | 
| Neuropsychiatric symptoms in care recipients | Neuropsychiatric Inventory score | 6 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Caregivers, Behavioral symptoms, Dementia, Alzheimer disease, Physical activity, Depressive symptoms, Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program