Vietnamese Caregiver Intervention Study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a culturally-appropriate intervention to reduce stress in Vietnamese dementia caregivers. A pilot intervention will be done to test the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention in a community setting. This will be done by randomly assigning a family triad (primary caregiver, secondary caregiver, and their care recipient) into an active intervention or a control condition and monitoring findings at baseline, post-intervention, and at three months.The intervention will consist of multiple components -enhanced psycho-education that includes discussion of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and cultural impacts on beliefs about dementia and caregiving, management of problem behaviors, facilitation of support seeking, and mindful Tai Chi. A secondary caregiver who the primary caregiver identifies as providing him/her with the most support will be invited to join all components, but the intervention will be flexible depending on caregivers' needs/preferences. The care recipient is not required to join the sessions but will be able to if he/she or the family wishes. During the intervention, community partners will provide respite care for the care recipient.

Conditions

• Alzheimer's Disease (Incl Subtypes)
• Cognitive Impairment

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced psycho-education about dementia and caregiving

Enhanced psycho-education re dementia and caregiving helping family members come to shared understanding of the nature and cause of dementia. Discussion of cultural values in Vietnamese and American cultures and how this can influence perceptions of dementia and caregiving strategies will help family members who disagree on the etiology of dementia and strategies for care to empathize with each other's perspective. Other sessions will teach skills to develop self-efficacy in dealing with patient symptoms, to access resources (e.g., in-home support), and to gain family support in culturally-congruent ways. Mindful Tai Chi is rooted in East Asian traditions and philosophies that promote balance and healing of the mind and body, thus addressing holistic beliefs Vietnamese have about wellness.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  collaborator NIH

• Alzheimer's Association

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, Davis

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Oanh Meyer, PhD, MAS · University of California, Davis

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-05-22

Primary Completion

2020-03-01

Completion

2020-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations