Connecting Caregivers With Community Services: The Care Buddy Platform

Connecting Caregivers With Community Services: The Care Buddy Platform

The study aims to develop a mobile-app (Care Buddy) which will be a one-stop integrated source of information and technology-based solutions for caregivers of people with dementia (PWDs). Study aims to bring caregivers into closer partnerships with the wider ecosystem (e.g., healthcare practitioners, community services, peer support, and care service providers) which will ultimately improve outcomes for both PWDs and their caregivers.

This is a 5-year study with various stages: 1) proof-of-concept stage to design and develop the Care buddy intervention, 2) proof-of-value stage to assess the feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction with the Care buddy intervention among informal caregivers of PWDs, 3) test-bedding stage to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the Care buddy intervention versus usual care among informal caregivers of PWDs with help of a multi-centre 2-arm RCT and 4) deployment stage to scale up the intervention at multiple centres across Singapore, monitor its adoption and outcomes and assess any organizational and individual barriers to adoption.

By the end of the proposed five-year project, investigators aim to develop and evaluate the technology as well as achieve widespread adoption among caregivers of PWDs. Investigators want to enable easy access to information, provide decisional and social support, improve the reach and uptake of existing community service providers, and assist with coordination among multiple informal and professional caregivers through the journey of dementia caregiving and into the bereavement phase.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The inclusion criteria for patients are

  1. Singaporean/Permanent residents
  2. Age 21 years of age or older
  3. Main person or one of the main persons involved in making decisions regarding treatment patient receives or responsible for ensuring the well-being of the patient
  4. An active primary caregiver for at least 6 months, and planning to remain the primary caregiver for the next 2 years
  5. Is a family member of the patient with dementia
  6. Can read and write in English
  7. Accessible by telephone to schedule interviews
  8. Has familiarity with use of technology (e.g., computers, tablets, or internet) and is able to complete surveys, forms using digital technology
  9. Intact cognition determined through the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) for those who are ≥ 65 years old.
  10. Caregivers who score >=9 on the 6-item Zarit Burden scale

Exclusion Criteria:

• Caregivers of patients staying in nursing home or other long-term care facility with no intention of being discharged will not be eligible however, if the patient is admitted to respite care for short/long term duration after being recruited, caregivers can continue to participate.