Caring for Dementia Caregivers in Ethnic Immigrant Communities

Caring for Dementia Caregivers in Ethnic Immigrant Communities

Many caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias-especially those in immigrant communities who don't speak English well-don't get access to helpful, proven support programs.

To address this, the investigative team adapted an existing caregiver support program (called the Savvy Caregiver Program) to better fit target group's culture and language. This new version, called K-Savvy, is a 6-week online program taught in Korean. In an earlier small study, K-Savvy worked well: caregivers found it helpful, were willing to use it, and showed fewer symptoms of depression.

Now, the investigative team wants to study it more carefully to see how well it really works and why.

The study has two main goals:

Goal 1:

The investigative team will measure whether K-Savvy improves caregivers' well-being-specifically whether it reduces stress and depression and helps them feel more positive about caregiving. The investigative team will also look at why it works, focusing on whether it changes how caregivers think about their situation (for example, feeling less overwhelmed and more confident).

Goal 2:

The investigative team will talk directly with caregivers and program instructors to understand their experiences with K-Savvy. This will help the investigative team learn what worked well, what didn't, and why.

Inclusion Criteria:

Self-identified Korean American adults aged 18 or older Provide care for a family member with dementia as a primary caregiver Primary caregiver defined as providing a minimum of 10 hours per week of in-home caregiving to a family member Speak English less than "very well" Able to attend virtual classes using an electronic device with Internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals with severe depression (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] score ≥ 20), as K-Savvy is not a mental health treatment program