Supporting Caregivers of Veterans with TBI and Mixed Dementia: The REACH Hope Behavioral Intervention
Abstract
Family members who care for Veterans with post traumatic brain injury (TBI) dementia often have heavy burden. Currently, there is no caregiving intervention that combines one-on-one coaching with digital flexibility for caregivers of Veterans with both TBI and dementia. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national Caregiver Center and Virginia Commonwealth University have developed and are evaluating a one-on-one plus smartphone-based intervention, REACH Hope. REACH Hope combines two award-winning interventions: the VA's REACH VA (Resources for Enhancing All Caregivers Health) one on-one behavioral caregiving intervention and the Department of Defenses Virtual Hope Box mobile app. The REACH VA component involves training in problem-solving and stress management skills one-on-one from a coach. The customizable Hope Box app provides anytime access to personalized coping and stress reduction content. This randomized clinical trial is testing the ability of REACH Hope to improve caregivers' burden, depression and anxiety, and confidence in themselves as caregivers, as well as Veteran safety. In a wait-list control design, half of 110 caregivers of Veterans with TBI and dementia receive REACH Hope at the beginning of the study and half after three months. Outcomes are measured at the start of the study, 3 months, 6-months for all participants, and 9-months later for wait list control participants.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1191044
Entities
People
- Linda O. Nichols