Jockey Club Stand-by-U Caregivers Community Support Project: In-home Respite for Caregivers of Older Adults

NCT06981117 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2024-0048-007
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 5,166
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to investigate whether the in-home respite service model is effective in relieving caregiver's burden and improving their mental wellbeing. Caregivers are triaged into four levels of needs using a self-developed screening tool. Those screened as mild and moderate levels are admitted to the study, while those in low or high-needs levels are referred to other services. Caregivers admitted in this study will receive either 12 or 36 hours of in-home respite services as the intervention. Trained volunteers or substitute caregivers will visit their home to take care the older adults, providing several hours of free time for the caregivers. Assessments are conducted before and immediate after the intervention, and 3, 6, 12 months after the completion of intervention, to measure the changes in mental wellbeing of the caregivers. A control group with no respite service provided is recruited to compare the effects in the changes of mental wellbeing.

Conditions

Caregiver Burnout; Caregiver Wellbeing

Keywords

caregiver; caregiving burden; caregiver wellbeing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Change from baseline in score in caregiving needs measured by Multidimensional screening tool after the intervention

  The Multidimensional screening tool is a self-developed tool that measures different aspects of caregiving needs over the past 1 week period. It is a 22-item scale, with 8 items that determines the overall needs level and the others for four aspects of needs: physical health, mental health, social support and care needs. Possible score is from 8 to 32 with lower score indicates lower caregivers' needs. Change in score = Immediate after intervention - baseline

  Baseline and Immediate after intervention

• Change from baseline in score in mental wellbeing measured by DASS-21 scale after intervention

  The DASS-21 comprises 21 items that assess symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress over the past week. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity. The total scores for each subscale (Depression, Anxiety, Stress) are calculated by summing the relevant item scores. Possible score for each subscale ranged from 0 to 42, with 0 indicates best outcome and 42 the worst outcome. Reductions in DASS-21 scores indicate improvements in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress following the intervention. Change in score = Immediate after intervention- baseline

  Baseline and Immediate after intervention

• Change in score from baseline in caregiving burden measured by CZBI after intervention

  The Chinese version of Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory (CZBI) is a widely used tool designed to assess caregiver burden and distress experienced by individuals caring for a loved one with a chronic illness or disability. It comprises of 12 items, and each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Possible score ranged from 0 to 48, with higher scores indicating greater levels of caregiver burden. Change in score= Immediate after intervention - baseline

  Baseline and Immediate after intervention

• Change in score from baseline in quality of life measured by EQ-5D-5L after intervention

  The EQ-5D-5L is a standardized instrument used to assess health-related quality of life across five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The responses are converted into a single index value representing overall health status using Hong Kong's normative value. The primary outcome measure in this study is the change in EQ-5D-5L index scores from baseline to post-intervention/follow-up assessments. 1 equals to perfect health and more negative numbers indicates worse health. Change in health index = Immediate after intervention - baseline

  Baseline and Immediate after intervention

• Retention of changes of Primary outcome 1 to 4 after the end of intervention

  Caregivers will complete the primary outcome measurements (1 to 4) again 3, 6 and 12 months after the end of the intervention. They will not receive any in-home respite service from the project in between the measurement periods. Changes in score of each scale in Primary Outcome 1 to 4 will be measured. Participants with improved/sustained score indicates better retention.

  Baseline, immediate after service, 3, 6 and 12 months after the intervention

Other Outcomes (1)

• Respite service details in each session, including the duration and content

  After each respite session

Study Arms (3)

Caregivers - Mild Needs

EXPERIMENTAL

Caregivers in Mild Needs level will receive 12 hours of respite service within 3 months

Other: 12 hr Respite Service

Caregivers - Moderate Needs

EXPERIMENTAL

Caregivers in Moderate Needs level will receive 36 hours of respite service within 3 months

Other: 36 hr Respite Service

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Control Group will receive no service.

Interventions

12 hr Respite Service OTHER

12 hours of respite service within 3 months will be provided by volunteers. Volunteers will provide elderly-sitting service (accompany the care recipient) during the service session, and provide cognitive training or physical training to the care recipient if situation allows.

Caregivers - Mild Needs

36 hr Respite Service OTHER

36 hours of respite service within 3 months will be provided by substitute caregivers. Substitute caregivers will provide elderly-sitting service (accompany the care recipient) during the service session, and provide cognitive training or physical training to the care recipient if situation allows.

Caregivers - Moderate Needs

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• aged 18 or above
• provide care to at least one homebound older adult (aged 60 or above)
• provide no less than 6 hours of caregiving per week
• able to communicate in either Cantonese, Mandarin or English

You may not qualify if:

• Care recipient is receiving long-term care service

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

Sau Po Centre on Ageing

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Hui NY, Wang LD, Yiu J, Feng MG, Lu P, Lou VWQ. JC Stand-by-U- development and evaluation of an in-home respite service model using mixed-method quasi-experimental design: study protocol. BMC Geriatr. 2025 Aug 27;25(1):665. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06294-w.

  PMID: 40866876 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Caregiver Burden

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Vivian Weiqun Lou

  The University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Vivian Weiqun WQ Lou

CONTACT

852-39174835; wlou@hku.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 8, 2025
• First Posted: May 20, 2025
• Study Start: April 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2027
• Last Updated: May 20, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF
• Time Frame: Study protocol will be published and avaliable for public. Informed consent form and anonymous data will be uploaded to HKU Data Repository under embargo protection.
• Access Criteria: Study protocol will be open to public. Informed consent form and anonymous data will be uploaded to HKU Data Repository under embargo protection, and will be provided under request.

Locations

HK (1)