Comparative Effectiveness of Dementia Care Strategies in Underserved Communities

Comparative Effectiveness of Dementia Care Strategies in Underserved Communities

Dementia is a condition that is growing in prevalence and which harms not only the afflicted individual but also adversely affects the health of their family and other informal caregivers. New methods for delivering comprehensive assistance to persons with dementia and their caregivers are known to be effective and can delay nursing home placement, but this study will discover 1) whether more face-to-face involvement rather than telephone delivery of this assistance will work better among poor patients in Los Angeles, and 2) if one method is better than the other, what are the differences in costs between them. These data will enable administrators in public health care settings around the US and non-profit foundations addressing dementia patient and caregiver needs to decide what method provides the best value and the best outcome relative to its cost.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Caregivers of persons with dementia
• Caregivers must either live with the care recipient (person with dementia) or be the identified primary support
• Caregiver relationship must have been present for the prior 6 months
• Caregivers must have telephone access
• Caregivers must speak English or Spanish
• Care recipients must have a prior dementia diagnosis
• Care recipients must be living in the community other than a nursing facility

Exclusion Criteria:

• Persons with dementia, lacking an informal caregiver who can communicate in Spanish or English, or living in a long term care facility
• Caregiver lacks the capacity to consent to study participation