The Impact of Dementia Caregiver Support Programs: Turning High-Risk Older Adult Caregivers into Models of Resilient Aging

Abstract

Research has shown that spouse caregivers of people living with dementia suffer high rates of emotional and other health issues, and even a higher risk of mortality, all of which can additionally negatively impact the care of the person with dementia. However, dementia care models that incorporate caregiver support, training and resource navigation into the primary care setting improved clinical care outcomes for both individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, while lowering overall health care spending (The UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program for Comprehensive, Coordinated, Patient-centered Care: Preliminary Data (nih.gov)).The presentation will highlight research that shows the measurable impact of dementia caregiver support in the context of research about caregiver dementia grief, stress process models of couples, and creative aging. The presentation will then give an overview of how this evidence has been translated into the various models of dementia caregiver support aimed at delivering value-based care in the Mass General Brigham (MGB) hospital system: the Dementia Care Collaborative at Massachusetts General Hospital, dementia case management in the geriatric outpatient clinic at McLean Hospital, and Mind and Memory Care Program at the MGB system level. Presenters will then bring the research to life by applying these concepts to clinical vignettes and to reflections of spouse dementia caregivers enrolled in support programs who have been able to turn the predictable story of an increasingly frail, ill-equipped, and social-isolated vulnerable caregiver into the less common but within-reach narrative of a resilient person who becomes better-connected, makes better decisions to promote their own health, who grows in competence and confidence to care for their spouse with dementia.This presentation will incorporate pragmatic skill-building approaches implemented in these programs which can be utilized by a broad range of clinicians who may encounter caregiver stress as part of the dementia care that they provide. These approaches are derived from a range of modalities – e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Problem Solving Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy – that help to uncover and highlight the strengths of older adult caregivers. For clinicians who are interested in adding services like this to their practice, the speakers will also discuss the evolving models of funding for their positions and key skills one would look for in hiring for such a position.The session will then open for audience participation.