Improving Care Through Improv: Promoting Mastery in the Moment

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goals of this clinical trial are to: 1) refine the training program, Improving Care though Improv; and 2) test the program for its influence self-perceived caregiving mastery (i.e., how persons assess their ability to provide care) among informal caregivers of persons living with moderate dementia. Forty informal caregivers will be involved in testing the training program. These individuals will be assigned to groups of between 8 to12 caregivers and take part in weekly 2-hour sessions held over a 4-week period. These caregivers will be taught improvisational (improv) theater skills, which involves being in the moment, self-awareness, and responsiveness to others. This group also will be asked to answer surveys questions about themselves and the person receiving care at three timepoints and invited to provide feedback on their training experiences.

Official Title
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Improving Care Through Improv: Promoting Mastery in the Moment

Conditions
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Caregiver Burden

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Training program pilot


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Actively engaged in the care of community-dwelling persons living with moderate dementia (4 or 5 on a 7-point dementia-staging scale) who is not likely to be institutionalized within the next 6 months Able to attend at least 3 of the 4 in-person sessions Ability to communicate in English

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: Other
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Informal Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia<br>Participants will receive the training program, Improving Care through Improv. This involves four weekly 2-hour in-person training sessions. | Behavioral: Training program pilot<br>* This intervention for informal caregivers consists of training that will introduce participants to improvisational (improv) theatre and teach its core communication skills.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pearlin Mastery, Loss, and Competence: Caregiver Competence Subscale | 4-item Likert-type scale; scores range from 4 to 16 with higher scores indicating greater feelings of competence. | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Perceived Stress Scale | 14-item Likert-type scale. Scores range from 0 to 56 with higher scores indicating greater stress. | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. | 
| Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale | 20-item Likert-type scale. Scores range from 0 to 60 with higher scores indicating greater depression. | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. | 
| State-Trait Anxiety Inventory | 20-item Likert-type scale. Scores range from 20 to 80 with higher scores indicating greater anxiety. | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. | 
| Zarit Burden Inventory | 22-item scale with 4-point Likert scale responses. Scores range from 0 to 88 with higher scores indicating greater burden. | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. | 
| Revised Memory and Behavioral Problems Checklist | 24-item scale with 4-point Likert scale responses. Scores range from 0 to 96 with higher scores indicating greater behavioral expressions observed by caregivers among persons living with dementia. | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. | 
| Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease Scale | 13 items with a 4-point Likert scale. Scores range from 13 to with 52 with higher scores indicating greater quality of life among persons living with dementia | at baseline, upon training completion (Week 4), and three months post baseline. |