Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Dementia care presents significant coordination challenges between clinical settings and community support.
• Caregiver burden and time constraints are common barriers in managing dementia care.
• Existing dementia care models often lack systematic caregiver identification and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a novel telephone-based Dementia Care Coordination (DCC) program.
• To assess caregiver outcomes, engagement levels, and satisfaction with the DCC model.
• To identify implementation factors for refining and expanding the DCC program.

Main Methods:

• The DCC model trains healthcare providers to identify and refer dementia caregivers to Alzheimer's Association care consultants.
• Care consultants provide personalized education, resources, and ongoing support via telephone.
• An implementation science evaluation assessed program engagement, caregiver self-efficacy, and stakeholder satisfaction across diverse health systems.

Main Results:

• Caregivers reported maintained or improved self-efficacy following DCC participation.
• High engagement was observed: 70% action plan uptake, 80% resource utilization, and 90% action plan comprehension.
• Health system employees reported high program satisfaction, despite identified clinician engagement barriers.

Conclusions:

• The DCC model is a feasible and promising approach for coordinating dementia care across various settings.
• The program effectively addresses critical care coordination gaps and enhances caregiver support.
• Implementation science findings offer guidance for DCC program refinement, sustainability, and expansion.