WeCareAdvisor: A Web-Based Tool to Improve Quality of Life for Military Veterans With Dementia and Their Caregivers

Phase 1

Completed

• Conditions: Dementia; Caregiver; Alzheimer Disease; Memory Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms
• Interventions: Behavioral: WeCareAdvisor

• Registration Number: NCT04587583
• Lead Sponsor: University of Michigan

Brief Summary

This research will test the WeCareAdvisor tool for family caregivers of military veterans with dementia to help caregivers assess, manage and track behavioral symptoms and their contributing factors (e.g., pain, sleep disturbance), and that provides tailored strategies for in-home, medication-free behavior management. 60 caregiver-person with dementia dyads will be recruited (30 Treatment Group, 30 Wait-List Control Group).

Detailed Description

Not available

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design
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Trial Locations

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-10-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-10-07
• Study First Posted: 2020-10-14
• Study Start: 2020-10-19
• Primary Completion: 2021-10-21
• Study Completion: 2021-10-21
• Status Verified: 2022-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-03-29
• Last Update Posted: 2022-03-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 19

Inclusion Criteria

Eligible caregivers must:

• Be the primary caregiver of a military veteran with dementia for at least 6 months and planning to remain the primary caregiver for the next 2 months
• Currently living with the person they are caring for (care recipient)
• Comfortable utilizing technology (e.g. computers, tablets, the internet)
• Have access to the internet and a computer or tablet device
• Plans to live in the area for the duration of the study

Care recipients (military veteran living with dementia) must:

• Exhibit at least one or more behavioral symptoms (any behavior at any frequency)
• Receiving psychotropic medication or cognitive enhancers will not exclude the care recipient.
• Have a clinical diagnosis of dementia (any type) per caregiver report.
• Be a military veteran.

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Exclusion Criteria

• Inability to read, speak or understand English
• Lack of regular access to a telephone, internet, technology (tablet or computer)
• Caregiver is unable to use a computer or tablet
• Person with dementia is not a military veteran

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
WeCareAdvisor after 1 month	WeCareAdvisor	after a wait period of 1 month, use of the WeCareAdvisor tool for a 1 month period
WeCareAdvisor	WeCareAdvisor	immediate use of the WeCareAdvisor tool for a 1 month period

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Caregiver Confidence in Managing Problematic Behavior	Baseline to 2 months	As measured by a study specific questionnaire completed by caregivers. Confidence in managing problematic behavior is measured on a scale of 0 to 10, where a score of 0 means not confident and 10 means extremely confident
Change in Caregiver Upset	Baseline to 2 months	As measured by a study specific questionnaire completed by caregivers. Upset is measured on a scale of 0 to 5 where 0 is equivalent to no upset and 5 is equivalent to extreme upset (midpoint is equivalent to fairly upset).
Change in Caregiver Stress	Baseline to 2 months	As measured by a study specific questionnaire completed by caregivers. Stress is measured on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is equivalent to no stress and 5 is equivalent to extreme stress.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Caregiver Communication	Baseline to 2 months	Caregivers rate the frequency of using six forms of negative communication (yelling, threatening, criticizing, withdrawing from patient, using harsh tone and screaming), measured on a scale of 1 to 5 where a score of 1 is never and a score of 5 is always.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Michigan; 🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States