Care Partner Support for Caregiver Stress
(CarES Trial)
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial aims to assist those caring for loved ones with dementia by testing an educational and support program called Care Partner Support and Education Messaging. This program delivers tips and resources via text or email and examines how it might reduce stress and improve resilience for caregivers. Participants can also join a peer support group to share experiences. Ideal participants previously joined a related study and regularly check in on or live with someone with dementia. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to access valuable resources and support that can enhance the caregiving experience.
Do I have to stop taking my current medications for this trial?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What prior data suggests that this supportive education and resource intervention is safe for care partners?
Research has shown that educational and emotional support programs for caregivers are generally safe and well-received. Studies indicate that online programs for family caregivers of dementia patients are practical and appreciated. These programs help caregivers manage stress and improve their health and well-being.
In this study, the support and education treatment includes automated messages and optional peer support. It aims to provide caregivers with helpful information and stress management techniques. Evidence suggests that these supportive interventions do not pose significant safety concerns for participants.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the Care Partner Support and Education Messaging system because it offers a fresh approach to managing caregiver stress, particularly for those caring for individuals with dementia. Unlike traditional methods that often rely on in-person support groups or counseling sessions, this treatment uses technology to deliver automated educational and supportive messages directly to caregivers' devices. This innovative delivery method allows caregivers to access stress management strategies and resources at their convenience, making it highly accessible and potentially more effective in real-time stress reduction. Additionally, the inclusion of daily stress journaling and optional peer support groups provides a comprehensive support system that encourages engagement and resilience among caregivers.
What evidence suggests that this intervention is effective for reducing caregiver stress?
Research has shown that educational programs and resources can reduce stress for those caring for someone with dementia. Studies find that these programs improve caregivers' mental health and lessen feelings of being overwhelmed. For instance, caregivers often feel less depressed and more confident after participating in these programs. Learning and stress management techniques are key components that help caregivers become stronger and more connected to available resources. Overall, these programs effectively equip caregivers with the tools needed to manage stress better. Participants in this trial will receive a low-intensity, supportive intervention that includes educational and supportive messaging, stress management strategies, and links to resources, aiming to provide similar benefits.678910
Who Is on the Research Team?
Michelle Fischer, MD, MPH
Principal Investigator
Penn State College of Medicine
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for people who are currently care partners of someone with dementia, either living with them or checking in at least weekly, and who previously took part in the CarES Observational Study. Participants must be willing and able to join study activities.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Baseline Assessment
Participants complete a baseline telephone interview assessing caregiver stress, burden, resilience, technology literacy, and caregiving experiences. Participants also complete a brief, structured stress journaling activity over a two-week period.
Intervention
Participants receive a six-week series of automated educational and supportive messages delivered by text message or email. Brief check-in surveys are used to assess participant engagement, perceived usefulness of the materials, and caregiving stressors.
Peer Support Focus Group
Participants are invited to attend an optional, in-person peer support focus group facilitated by trained study personnel to share experiences and provide qualitative feedback on the intervention.
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for changes in caregiver stress, burden, and resilience after the intervention.
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Care Partner Support and Education Messaging
Trial Overview
The study tests a six-week program that sends supportive educational messages by text or email to caregivers of people with dementia. It also offers an optional peer support group. The goal is to see if this approach helps reduce caregiver stress.
How Is the Trial Designed?
1
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Participants receive a low-intensity, supportive intervention that includes a baseline phone interview, a short period of daily stress journaling, and a six-week series of automated educational and supportive messages delivered by text message or email. Messages provide dementia caregiving education, stress management strategies, and links to publicly available resources. Participants complete brief surveys to assess engagement, stress, and resilience and may participate in an optional peer support focus group to provide qualitative feedback on the intervention.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Lead Sponsor
NYU Langone Health
Collaborator
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Collaborator
Citations
Social support interventions for caregivers of older adults with ...
This review underscores the variety of interventions designed to enhance social support for caregivers of older adults with dementia.
Effectiveness of a health education program for people with ...
This study assesses the effectiveness of a health education program on caregiving outcomes for people with dementia and their families.
Living With Dementia: Care Partner Needs and Outcomes of a ...
This study evaluated the impact of short (≤6 months) and longer-term (7+ months) participation in LWD on care partner outcomes (ie, self-efficacy, depression, ...
Improving the quality of life for patients with dementia and ...
Improving the quality of life for patients with dementia and their caregivers. Psychologists are providing more culturally competent care to ...
Research on Supportive Approaches for Family and Other ...
This paper examines how caring for a person with dementia affects the caregiver and what is known about effective ways to support caregivers.
He's Doing the Best He Can”: Care Partner Evaluation Results ...
Ongoing education, emotional support, and access to quality assistance for long-term planning are all needed and require sustained support.
Factors associated with care partner identification and ...
This retrospective EHR study investigated PLWD characteristics that may relate to care partner identification, education, and teaching methods during hospital ...
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caregiver.org
caregiver.org/resource/caregiver-statistics-health-technology-and-caregiving-resources/Health, Technology, and Caregiving Resources
Caregivers whose care recipient has emotional or mental health problems are more likely than others to report a decline in their own health (25% versus 14%). [ ...
Supporting Family Caregivers in Providing Care - NCBI - NIH
Research supporting this caregiver-as-client perspective focuses on ways to protect family caregivers' health and safety.
The 2024 Facts & Figures report also shows the latest ...
New Alzheimer's Association Report Reveals Top Stressors for Caregivers and Lack of Care Navigation Support and Resources · Report finds nearly 7 ...
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