This informal network of family caregivers provides an extremely important and often difficult service to loved ones and to society.  The REACH project hopes to discover new ways of helping these caregivers.

WHO IS ASKED TO PARTICIPATE?

Caregivers of family members with diagnoses of Alzheimer's Disease or related disorders will be asked to participate in the study.  REACH is particularly interested in learning about some of the special circumstances experienced by minority populations, such as African-Americans and Hispanics.

WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS

WILL BE ASKED?

Interview questions will cover a wide range of topics, including the health and functioning of the person with Alzheimer's Disease or a related disorder, as well as the health, responsibilities, and roles of the caregiver.

HOW WILL THIS STUDY BE CONDUCTED?

Six universities have been funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop interventions for helping family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's Disease or a related disorder.  Each will focus on testing a different home- or community-based intervention to support family caregiving.  These interventions include the use of advanced communication technology, the design and management of the care recipient's  physical environment, and the development of methods for dealing with problem behaviors and other challenges identified by family caregivers.

A Coordinating Center will perform a variety of administrative and support functions, handle information commonly collected by each team, and contribute study design and statistical expertise.

WHO IS FUNDING THIS STUDY?

The REACH initiative is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), components of the National Institutes of Health.

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