New Nia Grant Advances Tools For Dementia Caregiving

More than 7 cardinal Americans unrecorded pinch Alzheimer's illness and related dementias (ADRD), supported by 12 cardinal unpaid family caregivers whose contributions are weighted astatine $413 cardinal annually. As nan U.S. organization continues to age, nan number of group pinch dementia and their caregivers will astir travel by 2050. Innovative solutions to support family caregivers are urgently needed. 

Now, pinch a $3 cardinal assistance from nan National Institute connected Aging (NIA), integer wellness involution researcher, Y. Alicia Hong, is poised to alteration that. Hong led an interdisciplinary squad to create nan Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) arsenic a culturally tailored, integer wellness involution to heighten caregiving skills and amended nan wellbeing of dementia caregivers. The caller assistance will let her squad to further refine WECARE utilizing AI exertion and measure it pinch a randomized controlled trial. 

"WECARE is 1 of nan first personalized integer interventions for dementia caregivers. Though it is designed for Chinese American dementia caregivers, it tin beryllium adapted for different groups and service nan increasing request for integer support for dementia caregivers successful an aging society," said Hong, a professor successful nan College of Public Health Department of Health Administration and Policy astatine George Mason University. 

The 7-week programme will supply participants pinch informational ADRD multimedia content, quiz games, societal networking pinch different caregivers, personalized feedback, and further individualized resources. WECARE's occurrence will beryllium evaluated by measuring nan depressive symptoms reported by participants. The task besides intends to place barriers to and facilitators of WECARE's take and semipermanent use. 

This assets comes astatine a captious clip arsenic nan aging organization grows, and much group pinch ADRD require caregivers. Additionally, astir family caregivers person chronic conditions owed to prolonged and intensive dementia caregiving, causing an accrued request for resources that prolong nan wellness of family caregivers. 

Hong's assistance entitled "WECARE: A Personalized Intervention for Underserved Chinese American Dementia Caregivers" will return spot from September 2025 to August 2030, for a full of $3,088,427. WECARE is straight responsive to NIA's privilege of effective interventions for ADRD-affected populations.