In-Home Technology for Dementia Caregivers

Dementia Clinical Trial

Official title: Developing and Evaluating In-Home Supportive Technology for Dementia Caregivers

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

This study aims to develop and evaluate in-home assistive technology that is designed to alleviate anxiety, burden, and loneliness in spousal and familial caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Clinical Trial Description

This study aims to develop, refine, and evaluate a hardware/software system designed to integrate in-home sensors and devices, social connection, and Internet-of-Things (i.e., devices that can be controlled and communicated with via the internet) technologies to create a more supportive and safe home environment for caregivers and people with dementia. The system monitors troublesome behaviors in people with dementia (e.g., wandering), and targets mechanisms (e.g., worry, social isolation) thought to link behavioral symptoms in people with dementia with adverse caregiver outcomes (declines in health and well-being). The system is designed to minimize demands on caregivers' limited time and energy and to provide a platform for data collection that can be used by researchers and care professionals.

Hypotheses:

1. Caregivers in the full operation condition will have fewer negative effects of caregiving (lower burden, higher mental and physical health, higher well-being) than those in the limited home safety condition.

2. Greater use of the social networking features of the system will be associated with fewer caregiver depressive symptoms.

3. Greater utilization of the home safety features of the system will be associated with fewer caregiver anxiety symptoms. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alzheimer Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Aphasia, Primary Progressive
• Dementia
• Frontotemporal Dementia
• Pick Disease of the Brain

• NCT number: NCT03828383
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of California, Berkeley
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 26, 2019
• Completion date: November 27, 2020