A multifaceted, personalized intervention can significantly improve the quality of life for caregivers of people with dementia, new research published Nov. 21, 2006, in Annals of Internal Medicine has found. The study, Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health II (REACH II), is the first randomized, controlled trial to look systematically at the effectiveness of a multi-component caregiver intervention provided to ethnically diverse populations. Follow-up studies, the researchers suggest, should examine how the intervention might be used in communities through the nation's existing network of health and aging services.
REACH II was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), both components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research was conducted at five sites nationwide--the University of Alabama (Birmingham and Tuscaloosa), Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia), the University of Tennessee (Memphis), the University of Miami (Fla.) and Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.). The University of Pittsburgh served as the coordinating center, and Pittsburgh's Richard Schulz, Ph.D., was corresponding author for the study.
"Family members and friends provide most of the care for millions of people with dementia who live at home, often facing challenges that can seriously compromise their own quality of life," notes NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. "REACH II tells us that a well-designed, tailored intervention can make a positive, meaningful difference in caregivers' lives."
"This important research demonstrates that the intervention can readily benefit the diverse communities of caretakers who provide care to individuals with Alzheimer's disease," adds NINR Director Dr. Patricia A. Grady. "It also underscores the substantial cost that caregivers face--financially, physically, spiritually and emotionally--and helps to illustrate why caregiving res
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Contact: Susan Farrer
nianews3@mail.nih.gov
301-496-1752
NIH/National Institute on Aging
20-Nov-2006