Alzheimer’s Association Funds Research to Improve Lives of Caregivers
The Alzheimer’s Association is funding research that aims to improve the lives of caregivers as well as the dementia patients they serve.
Amanda Leggett, PhD, a research assistant professor at the University of Michigan, has been awarded $150,000 by the U.S. nonprofit’s Dementia Care Provider Roundtable (AADCPR) to support an investigation into different caregiving styles. Her research will focus on how different approaches to care affect health outcomes for caregivers and patients, including those with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our goal is to individualize treatment recommendations and interventions for caregivers, potentially leading to lower levels of care-related stress and a better quality of life for both members of the care partnership,” Leggett said in a press release. “I am grateful to the Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Provider Roundtable for their commitment to this important work.”
The funding is a component of the $242,056 Leggett has been awarded through the association’s Advancing Research on Care and Outcome Measurements (ARCOM) Grant Program, which seeks to improve dementia care through psychosocial study.
Leggett also serves as faculty associate of Michigan’s Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research.
The four-year-old AADCPR is a consortium of thought leaders in the dementia care provider field who aim to improve care and support for both patients and caregivers. The group comprises 23 organizations that represent home care, home health, life plan communities, nursing homes, and assisted living.
One way in which the consortium hopes to achieve its objectives is through the dissemination and adoption of the evidence-based Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations.
These recommendations outline quality care practices based on a comprehensive review of up-to-date evidence, best practices, and expert opinions. Spelled out in a 152-page document, they were developed to better define quality care across all care settings and throughout the disease course.
“The roundtable members are committed to advancing our knowledge and improving care for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias across care settings,” said Lakelyn Hogan, PhD, chair of the AADCPR. “We’re proud to support research that aims to achieve better care and outcomes for both people living with dementia and their caregivers.”
Symptoms of stress in caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients often include isolation, anger, denial, depression, exhaustion, brain fog, and other health conditions.
The Alzheimer’s Association works to find a cure for Alzheimer’s and other dementias through global research funding. It also provides programming that supports patients and their families and caregivers.
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