Telephone Support for Dementia Caregivers

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Caring for a patient with dementia is associated with increased feelings of burden and depression. The proposed study will examine the efficacy of Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking - Dementia (FITT-Dementia), a multi-component, family-based, telephone intervention, as a tool to reduce caregiver stress.

Detailed Description
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A previous pilot study of this approach showed reduced burden and reaction to memory and behavior problems for dementia caregivers. This study will test the intervention in a larger group of caregivers and have a more detailed analysis of outcomes. The caregiver of a person with dementia will receive telephone support calls. They will receive telephone calls from a trained member of the research team. These calls will occur over a six-month period and will be scheduled at a time that is convenient for the caregiver. They will receive a total of 16 calls over 6 months. During each call, the support person will discuss their current caregiving situation and provide various forms of support.

Official Title
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Psychosocial Telephone Intervention for Dementia Caregivers

Conditions
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Dementia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Family Intervention:Telephone Tracking Support- Caregiver
* Behavioral: Telephone Support


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 1) Diagnosis of dementia; 2) mild to moderate dementia; 3) family member or other adult in caregiver role for at least 6 months, and who provides at least 4 hours of supervision or direct assistance per day for the person with dementia; 4) care recipient lives in the community, including senior/retirement centers, but excluding nursing homes and assisted living centers; and 5) there is no plan for the care recipient to be placed in long term care or the caregiver to end their role within the next 6 months Exclusion Criteria: Patient: 1) other major medical condition affecting independent functioning 2) older than age 90; and 3) younger than age 50. Caregiver: 1) major acute medical illness; 2) English not primary language; 3) cognitive impairment; 4) no access to a telephone; or 5) older than age 90.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 50 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Supportive Counseling<br> | Behavioral: Telephone Support<br>* Supportive telephone counseling about caregiving<br>|
| Experimental: Problem-Solving<br> | Behavioral: Family Intervention:Telephone Tracking Support- Caregiver<br>* Family-based problem solving treatment<br>* Other names: FITT-C;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Depression, burden, reaction to memory and behavior problems |  | Every two months, over a 6 month time-period , and a three month follow-up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cost-effectiveness and resource use |  | Monthly resource check-ins. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Dementia, Caregivers, Alzheimer's disease