Self- Care TALK Study - Promoting Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Spousal Caregiver Health

NCT00646074 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 1R21NR009560
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 46
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Most individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia return home, where their care is supported by family and friends. Although family caring at home is usually rewarding, it is often challenging, too. The demands and responsibilities of caring for a loved one at home can be stressful. The actual activities of caregiving vary according to the needs of the individual, but can include helping with bathing, dressing, eating, and many other activities. Caregivers must learn care techniques and how to manage changes in roles and lifestyle. While adjusting to these changes, caregivers may be advised to 'take care' of themselves, but may not receive guidance or support for doing this. In this study, we are testing a self-care intervention for older, spouse caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's or dementia to see how helpful the intervention is in reducing distress and in helping caregivers adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors. We have developed an intervention for caregivers that is called Self-Care TALK. The intervention includes creating a health-promoting, self-care education and support partnership between caregivers and nurses through the use of weekly telephone conversations. Each conversation focuses on a health-related topic, such as: healthy habits, building self-esteem, focusing on the positive, avoiding role overload, communicating, and building meaning. The conversations follow a basic format, but also are unique to each person. Participants complete questionnaires before and after the intervention, so that we can test the effect of participation in Self-Care TALK on caregiver health. We know that education and support about self-care can be achieved through partnerships between family caregivers and health care professionals. Our goal is to build on this knowledge in testing whether participation in the Self-Care TALK intervention will result in less distress and better health and well-being for spouse caregivers, compared to caregivers who receive no additional care beyond usual education and support. In working toward this goal, we are using a partnership approach, in which nurses and caregivers discuss several health-related topics and mutually identify creative solutions for caregivers to incorporate self-care and health-promotion strategies into their daily routines. Promoting healthy outcomes for caregivers is essential to supporting their personal well-being, and to fostering their ability to continue home care for their loved one.

Conditions

Caregiving

Keywords

Caregiver; Alzheimer's disease; Caregiving as experienced by older adults caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease or dementia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• SF-36v2, PCS (perceived physical health), SF-36v2, MCS (perceived mental health)

  2 and 6 months post enrollment

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• M-CSI; modified (caregiver strain), SRAHP (self-efficacy for health), CES-D (depression)

  2 and 6 months post enrollment

Study Arms (2)

1

EXPERIMENTAL

Self-Care TALK

Behavioral: Self-Care Talk

2

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Self-Care Talk BEHAVIORAL

6 conversational sessions

1

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 60 years or older
• Married or married equivalent
• Living with and caring for a spouse/partner diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia within the last 2 years
• Can participate by telephone
• Speaks English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Kansas: lead
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): collaborator
• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR): collaborator

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alzheimer Disease; Dementia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Cynthia Teel, PhD, RN

  University of Kansas

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 25, 2008
• First Posted: March 28, 2008
• Study Start: July 1, 2006
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2008
• Study Completion: August 1, 2008
• Last Updated: March 7, 2012

Record last verified: 2012-03