Aging with Pride: Innovations in Dementia Empowerment and Action (IDEA).

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Dementia Care Research

Background:

• Sexual and gender minority (SGM) older adults with dementia face unique challenges including health disparities and social isolation.
• Existing dementia interventions may not adequately address the specific needs of the SGM population.
• Care partners of SGM older adults with dementia also experience significant burdens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the virtual adaptation of the Aging with Pride: Innovations in Dementia Empowerment and Action (IDEA) randomized controlled trial intervention.
• To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a virtual delivery model for dementia support for SGM older adults and their care partners.
• To identify potential benefits and limitations of virtual interventions in dementia care for this population.

Main Methods:

• The Aging with Pride: Innovations in Dementia Empowerment and Action (IDEA) intervention was adapted for virtual delivery.
• Key adaptation goals included accessibility, quality, ease of delivery, sustainability, and cultural relevance.
• Implementation involved creating a HIPAA-compliant virtual platform, training coaches and participants, and modifying intervention materials.

Main Results:

• Preliminary findings indicate positive responses from both participants and intervention coaches to the virtual IDEA adaptation.
• Virtual delivery led to decreased attrition rates for both intervention participants and coaches compared to in-person delivery.
• The virtual format demonstrated potential for expanding the intervention's reach to a wider audience.

Conclusions:

• The virtual adaptation of the IDEA intervention shows promise for supporting sexual and gender minority older adults with dementia and their care partners.
• Virtual dementia care interventions can offer benefits such as increased accessibility and reduced attrition.
• Further systematic research is needed to fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of virtual delivery modalities for diverse subgroups within the dementia population.