Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers

Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers (LEAF)

Life Enhancing Activities for Family Caregivers is a six-week program designed to increase positive affect in people who care for a family member with dementia. The intervention consists of 6 weekly one-hour sessions conducted one-on-one with a trained facilitator to teach simple skills that are practiced at home in a study-supplied workbook. The program is preceded and followed by a 30-45 minute questionnaire. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 1-month, 3-months, and 6-months post intervention.

Primary hypothesis is that experimental subjects who participate in LEAF will demonstrate significantly greater improvements in psychological outcomes and will engage in more problem focused and positive appraisal forms of coping compared to the wait-list control condition.

All study activities can be conducted from the participant's home, making participation possible for any qualified caregiver with computer and wifi access, in any U.S. state. The LEAF study will supply the tablet computer, software, and workbook required for participation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must be able to be defined as the primary care provider for a family member with dementia. (Person with dementia must live with the caregiver or in their own home and not in a care facility.)
• Must speak and read English
• Must have the ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of access to a high speed internet connection
• Evidence of severe cognitive impairment or active psychosis, as assessed by trained interviewers