Status: In Process

Organization:  The Meros Center

Background/Context:

Millions of Americans aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) often see nursing homes as their home. However, many nursing homes struggle to provide optimal care due to staffing shortages, raising concerns among families about the quality of life for their loved ones.

While some nursing homes promote their specialized dementia care and studies suggest better outcomes for residents, it’s unclear what truly constitutes ‘special’ care and how to enhance the ‘good life’ for residents, families, and staff.

This study aims to address this gap by implementing a ‘good life’ intervention in nursing homes and evaluating its feasibility using the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) in a randomized controlled trial involving 8 nursing homes, half of which have dementia specialty units.

The ‘good life’ intervention is a progressive web application that provides a toolkit of educational and training resources for nursing home staff caring for residents with ADRD. An in-house dementia champion will be trained to use the app and introduce it to staff. The app includes educational modules, training guides, motivational messaging, and activity suggestions. Outcomes will be measured at the start and end of the study, focusing on staff satisfaction, stress levels, family satisfaction, and residents’ pain, agitation, and quality of care and life.

Additionally, this study will explore the concept of a ‘good life’ among older adults from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, aligning with the goals of the Meros Center and the National Institute on Aging.

This project is funded by: National Institute on Aging

Research Question:

How does the implementation of a ‘good life’ intervention, utilizing a web application of educational and training resources, affect the quality of care and quality of life for residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in nursing homes, and what are the perceptions of staff and families regarding this intervention?

Study Aims:

1. Informed by the prior K99 Aims, implement the evidence-informed ‘good life’ model of nursing home care among residents with ADRD and evaluate its implementation using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework.
2. Evaluate preliminary efficacy of the ‘good life’ intervention in a randomized controlled clinical trial with 8 nursing homes.
3. Evaluate the cultural resonance of the key concepts of the ‘good life’ intervention in different ethnic and racial minority communities, including American Indian, African American, and Hispanic populations living the United States.

Impact:

Until a cure for ADRD is found, improving the quality of care and life for individuals with the condition—especially those in nursing homes—remains a significant challenge. This proposal aims to explore the unique features of dementia special care units in nursing homes and translate these findings into effective care practices to enhance outcomes for residents with ADRD across the country.

Additionally, it will establish a basis for future studies on the concept of the ‘good life’ among older adults with ADRD, particularly focusing on ethnic and racial minorities in home and community-based care. The insights gained will help identify best practices and promote a better quality of life for individuals with ADRD.

Ultimately, this research will inform a future R01 application for a comprehensive examination of the ‘good life’ model, benefiting individuals with ADRD, their families, nursing homes, policymakers, and researchers by promoting resilience and enhancing quality of life.

Open Positions:

1 Field Research Assistant – Milwaukee, WI; assist with intervention implementation and data collection.

Timeline:  October 2024 – September 2027

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