Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Sep 12, 2022
Date Accepted: Feb 6, 2023
Behind the Scenes of a Technologically Enhanced Caregiving Intervention: Protocol for a Feasibility and Acceptability Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Alzheimer's disease affects 6.5 million Americans. As the disease progresses, these individuals require a devoted caregiver, often a family member, who provides evolving complex care. Caregivers can experience a variety of continuous stressors. Information and communication technologies provide an excellent opportunity to enhance education, training, and support for caregivers remotely and help them manage caregiving stressors.
Objective:
This protocol describes the theoretical rationale, study design, and methods of a technologically enhanced intervention for caregivers of people with dementia that includes a Virtual Reality component
Methods:
"Through Alzheimer's Eyes" is a four-week single-arm, pre-post pilot study. It involves4 group sessions of 90 minutes each that are delivered virtually and includes a weekly Virtual Reality experience about the journey of an older Latina with Alzheimer's as well as individualized weekly coach calls to reinforce skill development. The four sessions cover topics of communication, managing challenging behavior and unhelpful thoughts, the importance of self-care, and mindfulness—all of which are key components to help reduce stress in family caregivers. Outcomes are assessed through an individual interview pre-p and post-intervention to gather participant insights, evaluate feasibility and acceptability, and assess key quality of life outcomes.
Results:
Twenty caregivers from the United States completed the workshop. Data collection and study are still ongoing. Final results are expected in the spring of 2023. Preliminary data indicate feasibility and acceptability.
Conclusions:
"Through Alzheimer's Eyes" is a new intervention that leverages existing technology to help caregivers manage their stress and related distress regardless of their location.
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.