The COACH Project: Combined Online Assistance for Caregiver Health

Summary

This study evaluates the effect of a physical exercise + caregiver skills training on feelings of burden, mood, and biological markers of inflammation in persons who provide care for Veterans with a TBI or dementia. Half of the caregivers will participate in a balance and flexibility + caregiver skills training program, while the other half will participate in a moderate/high intensity aerobic and resistance + caregiver skills training program.

Conditions

• Traumas, Brain
• Alzheimer Disease
• Dementia
• Head Injury
• Concussion, Brain
• TBI

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise + Caregiver Skills Training

The combined moderate to high intensity combined aerobic and resistance exercise training + skills training group consists of six months of physical exercise + caregiver skills training followed by an additional six months of follow-up for a total study duration of twelve months. All aspects of these combined interventions will be delivered through mobile technology thus obviating some of the obstacles to caregivers face in meeting their own needs. Caregivers will be provided with study issued equipment (e.g., exercise equipment, activity monitoring devices, and tablets) to complete all elements of the intervention.

BEHAVIORAL

Stretching Balance and Flexibility + Caregiver Skills Training

The stretching, balance and flexibility training + skills training group consists of six months of physical exercise + caregiver skills training followed by an additional six months of follow-up for a total study duration of twelve months. All aspects of these combined interventions will be delivered through mobile technology thus obviating some of the obstacles to caregivers face in meeting their own needs. Caregivers will be provided with study issued equipment (e.g., exercise equipment, activity monitoring devices, and tablets) to complete all elements of the intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• United States Department of Defense

  collaborator FED

• Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

85 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2015-08-31

Primary Completion

2018-07-31

Completion

2018-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations