Measuring Self-Appraised Changes following Participation in an Intervention for Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Self-Appraisal of Change Scale, a measure designed to capture domains that are subjectively relevant to caregivers, associated with overall well-being, and amenable to change upon engaging in an intervention. Data from 107 caregivers of veterans with dementia enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered caregiver psychoeducation and support group program (the Telehealth Education Program (TEP)) were analyzed. The TEP, which was delivered by master's prepared social workers and a nurse dementia care manager, targeted caregivers' dementia-related knowledge, attitudes, and self-management skills.

The effect of telephone support groups on costs of care for veterans with dementia.

Purpose: Few studies have addressed the effects of caregiver interventions on the costs of care for the care recipient. This study evaluated the effects of a caregiver education and support group delivered via the telephone on care recipient health care utilization and cost.

Design And Methods: The Telehealth Education Program (TEP) is a manualized program of education and support designed for caregivers of veterans with moderate-to-severe dementia.

Effectiveness of advanced illness care teams for nursing home residents with dementia.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of advanced illness care teams (AICTs) for nursing home residents with advanced dementia. The AICTs used a holistic approach that focused on four domains: (1) medical, (2) meaningful activities, (3) psychological, and (4) behavioral. The authors recruited 118 residents in two nursing homes for this study and randomly assigned them to AICT or to usual care (UC).

Human subjects protection in a study of caregivers of community-residing persons with dementia.

This article describes the processes and methods used to protect human subjects during a joint research project undertaken by a state health department and a university-based research team. The use of a statewide registry to obtain a sample of primary caregivers of persons with dementia provided a unique opportunity for the research team to interview a large and representative sample of caregivers. At the same time, it raised complex issues regarding the privacy of the primary caregivers and the confidentiality of the patient data that were drawn from the state-operated mandatory dementia registry.