JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementia are prevalent concerns for aging populations. With a growing older adult population living in the United States, the number of people living with dementia is expected to grow, posing significant challenges for informal caregivers. The mental and physical burdens associated with caregiving highlight the importance of developing novel and effective resources to support caregivers. However, technology solutions designed to address their needs often face low adoption rates due to usability issues and a lack of contextual relevance. This study focuses on developing a web-based platform providing financial and legal planning information and education for dementia caregivers and evaluating the platform’s usability and adoptability.

Objective:

The goal of this project is to create a web-based platform that connects caregivers with personalized and easily accessible resources. This project involves industrial, academic, and community partners and focuses on two primary aims: (1) Developing a digital platform using a Dementia Care Personalization Algorithm and assessing feasibility in a pilot group of caregivers, and (2) Evaluating the acceptability and usability of the digital platform across different racial/ethnic populations. This work will aid in the development of technology-based interventions to reduce caregiver burden.

Methods:

Phase I study follows an iterative Design Thinking approach, involving at least 25 dementia caregivers as a user feedback panel to assess the platform’s functionality, aesthetics, information, and overall quality using the adapted Mobile Application Rating Scale. Phase II is a usability study with 300 dementia caregivers in Texas (100 African Americans, 100 Hispanic/Latinx, and 100 non-Hispanic Whites). Participants will use the digital platform for about four weeks and evaluate its usefulness and ease of use through the Technology Acceptance Survey.

Results:

The study received funding from the National Institute on Aging in 2021. Ethical approval for Phase I was obtained from the Texas A&M University Institutional Review Board in December 2021, with data collection starting in January 2022 and concluding in May 2022. In June 2023, ethical approval for human subjects for Phase II was granted, and participant recruitment began in July 2023.

Conclusions:

Upon completing these aims, we expect to deliver a widely accessible digital platform tailored to assist dementia caregivers with financial and legal challenges by connecting them to personalized, contextually relevant information and resources in Texas. If successful, we plan to work with caregiving organizations to scale and sustain the platform, addressing the needs of the growing population living with dementia.