Resilience-Building Intervention for Older Informal Caregivers

Community-Based Resilience-Building Intervention for Older Informal Caregivers: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Feasibility Trial

The goal of this pilot study is to test whether a newly developed resilience-building program is feasible and acceptable for older adults who provide unpaid care to people with functional impairment in the community. The program was developed based on earlier research with older caregivers, existing scientific evidence, and feedback from key stakeholders.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

• Can older caregivers be successfully recruited and retained in the study?
• Is the program feasible and acceptable to deliver in community settings?
• Does the program show potential to improve resilience among older caregivers?

Researchers will compare:

• an intervention group receiving an 8-week multicomponent resilience-building intervention delivered through alternating in-person and online sessions at participating Active Ageing Centres and through Telegram group video calls. The program includes psychoeducation, peer support group, and access to an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed to support caregivers.
• an active control group receiving access to the AI chatbot and weekly telephone follow-up only.
• a control group continuing their usual caregiving routine.

Participants will:

• Be assigned to 1 of the 3 study groups based on the Active Ageing Centre they attend.
• Complete self-reported questionnaires before the intervention (T0, baseline), immediately after the intervention (T1, post-intervention), and 3 months later (T2, follow-up).
• Some participants may also be invited to participate in focus group discussions after the 8-week intervention period as part of a process evaluation to explore their experiences, perceived usefulness of the intervention components, barriers and facilitators to participation, and recommendations for refinement.

Findings from this pilot study will help refine the intervention and study procedures of a larger future trial.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be aged 60 to 85 years;
• Reside in the community;
• Be attending a participating Lions Befrienders Active Ageing Centre;
• Be able to communicate in English or Mandarin;
• Have an Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) score of 8 or above;
• Self-identify as an informal caregiver providing unpaid care to a family member, friend, or other individual;
• Provide care to a care recipient with impairment in at least one activity of daily living, as assessed using the Older Americans Resources and Services Activities of Daily Living (OARS-ADL) scale;
• Have at least weekly contact with the care recipient.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have severe visual or hearing impairment that would prevent participation in study activities;
• Have a known diagnosis of dementia or other severe cognitive impairment;
• Have a known diagnosis of a severe psychiatric disorder that may impair study participation (e.g., psychotic disorders);
• Have an AMT score below 8;
• Provide care primarily to grandchildren or children under 18 years of age, rather than to an adult with functional impairment.