RECRUITING

Dementia Caregivers' Link to Assistance and Resources

Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the Dementia Caregivers' Link to Assistance and Resources (DECLARE) program can improve support of, and engagement with, caregivers of home health patients with dementia. DECLARE includes a caregiver self-assessment that is reported in the home health patient record, and increased access to social work for cases including dementia caregivers. The main questions we aim to answer are: * Will most caregivers who are offered the chance to complete an assessment choose to do so? * Will clinicians report that the assessment information was useful? * Will the rate of social work access increase for cases with patients with dementia who have involved family caregivers? Researchers will compare DECLARE to usual care to see if taking part in the program increases caregiver self-efficacy and access to social work. Participants will: * Answer a short series of assessment questions and questions about their caregiving experiences at the beginning of the home health episode. * Receive a social work visit from a Licensed Social Worker trained in dementia care. * Answer a series of follow-up questions about their caregiving experiences at the end of the home health episode.

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the Dementia Caregivers' Link to Assistance and Resources (DECLARE) program can improve support of, and engagement with, caregivers of home health patients with dementia. DECLARE includes a caregiver self-assessment that is reported in the home health patient record, and increased access to social work for cases including dementia caregivers. The main questions we aim to answer are: * Will most caregivers who are offered the chance to complete an assessment choose to do so? * Will clinicians report that the assessment information was useful? * Will the rate of social work access increase for cases with patients with dementia who have involved family caregivers? Researchers will compare DECLARE to usual care to see if taking part in the program increases caregiver self-efficacy and access to social work. Participants will: * Answer a short series of assessment questions and questions about their caregiving experiences at the beginning of the home health episode. * Receive a social work visit from a Licensed Social Worker trained in dementia care. * Answer a series of follow-up questions about their caregiving experiences at the end of the home health episode.

Dementia Caregivers' Link to Assistance and Resources: Supporting Caregivers of Home Health Patients With Dementia

Dementia Caregivers' Link to Assistance and Resources

Condition
Alzheimer Disease or Associated Disorder
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

New York

VNS Health Home Care, New York, New York, United States, 10017

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Individual must be listed as the caregiver of record for a patient receiving home health care from the partner home health agency and have a phone number on file; the patient must meet the inclusion criteria listed below.
  • * Home health patient (care recipient) must have a documented dementia diagnosis on the home health assessment, be 65 years or older, and have Traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage as their primary payer for the home health episode.
  • * Caregivers are excluded if they are unable to communicate in English.

Ages Eligible for Study

to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

Visiting Nurse Service of New York,

Julia G Burgdorf, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Center for Home Care Policy & Research, VNS Health

Study Record Dates

2026-06-30