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Live@Home.Path: Innovating the Clinical Pathway for Home Dwelling Persons With Dementia and Their Families

Not Applicable
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Home-dwelling
Dementia
Caregiver
Interventions
Behavioral: LIVE
Registration Number
NCT04043364
Lead Sponsor
University of Bergen
Brief Summary

This study aims at developing, implementing and evaluating a complex intervention involving Learning, Innovation, Volunteers and Empowerment for home dwelling persons with dementia and their caregivers. The investigators hypothesise that a successfully implemented intervention will reduce caregivers burden and be cost-effective.

Detailed Description

The provision of economically viable and proper care for the growing group of home-dwelling people with dementia (PWD) is one of the most pressing issues in our society. While a cure for dementia is not yet available, professionals and policy-makers highly prioritize the support of caregivers who experience a vast burden. However, there is a lack of high-quality research investigating clinical, social and economic factors that may add beneficial effects. This project aims to develop, test, and implement a complex intervention for PWD, intended to reduce caregivers' burden, which will aid PWD to stay safely, longer and independently at home with dignity and cost-effectiveness. The term informal caregivers' burden may include different meanings for different people and be related to economic burden, depression and anxiety, quality of life (QoL), or simply the quality of sleep and recreation. In a stepped wedge, cluster randomized controlled trial, involving primary and secondary health care systems in Bergen, Bærum and Kristiansand the 24-month LIVE@Home.Path study will be undertaken in a stepped wedge design. The user-inspired and tailored intervention includes a designated coordinator to the PWD and caregiver for 6 months to introduce a complex intervention involving a) Learning b) Innovation c) Volunteers and d) Empowerment.

Qualitative interviews will determine users' values and wishes, and promotors and barriers for successful implementation of the intervention. Primary and secondary outcomes on cognitive, emotional and social factors, cost-benefit analyses, and QoL of PWD and families will be assessed every 6-month over 2 years.

Update spring 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic severely hampered the implementation of the intervention for the second group. We therefore had to change the design, postponing the intervention in Bærum and Kristiansand, and delivering the intervention in Bergen by phone. In addition, we initiated the PAN.DEM in the LIVE@Home.Path trial, collecting data from phone interviews with caregivers on change in Health services and neuropsychiatric symptoms, risk perception and restrictions. Changes in design approved by Ethical committee (REK: 10861).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
280
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Home-dwelling people with dementia (PWD) equal or above 65 years diagnosed according to national guidelines
  2. Mini mental state examination score 15-24
  3. Functional Assessment Staging Test (FAST score 4-7)
  4. Living with a partner, or have regular contact with a caregiver minimum 1 hour/week
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Participate in other trials
  2. Expected survival under 4 weeks

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SEQUENTIAL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
LIVELIVEA multicomponent intervention focusing on Learning, Innovation, Volunteers and Empowerment organized by a local coordinator.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Relative stress scaleup to 24 months follow up, assessment every 6 months

RSS: measuring caregiver distress, 15 items ranging from 0-4, high score indicates high burden

Resource Utilization in Dementiaup to 24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

RUD:A validated tool for assessment of time use for cost effectiveness analyses, measuring total time use in hours/day for different activities, numbers of contact points with care professionals and use of medications, high time use, many contacts and many medications indicates high resource use

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Medication useAt the start of the intervention, and every 6 onth follow up

Self and proxy reported use of medications, both regular and on demand

Participation in educational programs24 months follow up, assessment every 6 months

Participation in educational programes, both for persons with dementia and for caregivers.

Depression and mood24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

CSDD: Cornell scale for depression in dementia, range 0-38, high score indicates high symptom load

Adverse events24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

Falls, disappearances outdoor, admissions to acute wards, fire hazard

Comorbidity24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

GMHR: General medical health rating scale, 4 point likert scale, range from 1-4, high score indicates high comorbidity burden

Activities of daily living, instrumental24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

I-ADL scale assessing instrumental activities such as use of telephone, economy, household, public transport and shopping, range from 8-31, higher score indicates poorer functioning

Activities of daily living, personal24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

P-ADL, assessing personal activities such as toileting, grooming, dressing, transfer and eating, scale range 6-30, higher score indicates poorer personal functioning

Quality of Life VAS scale24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

EQ-5D, Descriptive measure of quality of life rated on a VAS scale range 0-100, high score indicates good health

Caregiver depression24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

GDS: Geriatric depression scale, 30 items rated yeas or no, high score indicates high burden

Change in cognitive performanceBaseline

IQ CODE: Proxy rater instrument for assessment of change in cognitive performance the last 10 years, range 16-80, high score indicates great decline

Agitation24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

CMAI: Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, 29 items assessing the frequency of agitated behaviour, range 29-203, high score indicates higher severity

Use of assistive technology24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

number of technical aids, cognitive intervention devices and assisted-living systems

Use of volunteers24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

number of hours spent with a volunteer

Neuropsychiatric symptoms24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

NPI: presence, severity and burden of depression, anxiety, psychosis and motor disturbances, range from 0-144, high score indicates frequent, severe and burdensome symptoms

Quality of Life24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

QoL-AD: Quality of life in Alzheimer dementia, 13 items likert scale, range from 13-52 points, high score indicates high quality of life

Change achievingat the start of intervention, and every 6 months

Clinical global impression of change, to quantify and track patient progress and treatment response on a scale from 1 to 7, at which 7 indicates substantial worsening.

Pain in dementia24 months follow up, assesment every 6 months

MOBID-2: assesses the intensity of pain based on interpretation of pain related behaviour, range from 0-10, high score indicates high pain intensity

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Bergen

🇳🇴

Bergen, Norway

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