Evaluation of the PACE/PACENET BHL Caregiver Program

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · Jun 2, 2015

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This is an observational study looking at how well the Caregiver Outreach and Telehealth Education Program (COTP) within the Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL) works for caregivers of people with dementia who are part of the PACE/PACENET program. Researchers will review existing program data and conduct one follow-up interview to see if the COTP helps both the caregiver and the person with dementia. The main thing they’ll look at is a 6‑month check of dementia-related symptoms and caregiver burden using a special checklist. They’ll also look at caregiver well-being, such as satisfaction with caregiving, how capable they feel, the demands they face, and whether they worry about the person they care for needing placement in a facility. A secondary focus is whether caregiver participation affects the caregiver’s view of the possibility of institutionalizing the care recipient.

Eligible participants are adults (18 and older) who are caregivers of PACE/PACENET beneficiaries enrolled in the BHL COTP and who have a relative with clinically meaningful cognitive impairment or dementia. The care recipient’s impairment is identified through baseline screening tests or a dementia diagnosis, and the caregiver must agree to allow the study to use retrospective program data and to take part in the 6‑month outcome interview. The study is being led by the University of Pennsylvania’s CREST program and is conducted at a site in Philadelphia, with about 350 caregiver–care recipient pairs targeted. Results have not yet been reported, and the study is ongoing with data collection through a 6‑month follow‑up after the initial program term.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Aged 18 and older, males and females.
• • 2. The beneficiary screened positive for clinically significant cognitive impairment (BOMC score \> 14) during the Care Recipient Baseline BHL COTP interview and agreed to allow COPT staff to speak with a CG, OR, the beneficiary could not complete the Care Recipient Baseline BHL COTP interview at all, agreed to allow COPT staff to speak with a CG on their behalf, and the CG verified that the beneficiary has clinically significant cognitive impairment (via AD8 score of 2 or more) and/or a dementia diagnosis made by a health care provider.
• • 3. CG provides verbal informed consent to the use of retrospective clinical BHL COTP data and participation in the 6 Month Outcome Research Evaluation at the completion of the 3 Month Program Termination visit.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Not meeting the inclusion criteria listed above.