| Description |
A pilot study to assess the feasibility of conducting a larger scale, multisite randomized controlled trial of Proactive Dementia Care (PDC), an early-stage, preventative intervention for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, was conducted over a 3-year period at the Cognitive Disorders Clinic at the University of Utah. Eighty dyads (an individual diagnosed with a progressive dementia and a designated caregiver) were consented and enrolled over this time period. The independent variable was the study subject's randomization into either the PDC (treatment) arm or the Standard Dementia Specialist Care (SDSC) treatment as usual arm. The dependent variables were the primary outcome measures Caregiver Strain Instrument (CSI), Preventative Milestones in Dementia Care (PMDC), and the Care Satisfaction Survey (CSS). The pilot study evaluated the following study components: screening, recruitment, randomization, retention, treatment adherence, treatment fidelity, and the assessment process. A detailed description of each of these outcome objectives is presented and discussed. Key findings include changes to the PDC study protocols, PDC study interventions, and PDC study outcome measures, which will be instituted prior to initiating a larger scale study. |
