Tele-STELLA for Alzheimer's Caregivers

(Tele-STELLA Trial)

Overseen By Hannah Bernard

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University

Disqualifiers: Dementia not ADRD, Early stage dementia, Hearing/vision problems, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 8

400 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to test a revised psychoeducational intervention to help Care Partners for family members with dementia understand and reduce the distressing behaviors that come with progressive dementia. Tele-STELLA (Support via TEchnology: Living and Learning with Advancing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias) is a multicomponent videoconference-based intervention designed to facilitate effective management of behavioral and psychological symptoms common to the later stages of dementia. In the Tele-STELLA intervention, professionals ("Guides") meet with family members ("Care Partners") who care for persons with dementia. Working together, the Care Partners and Guides identify strategies to address upsetting behaviors. The goal of this intervention is to reduce upsetting behaviors and, thus, Care Partner burden.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems to focus on providing support and education for caregivers rather than altering medical treatments.

Is Tele-STELLA safe for Alzheimer's caregivers?

The available research does not provide specific safety data for Tele-STELLA, but similar telehealth interventions for dementia caregivers have been generally well-received and focus on support and education, suggesting they are safe to use. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the Tele-STELLA treatment different from other treatments for Alzheimer's caregivers?

Tele-STELLA is unique because it provides support to Alzheimer's caregivers through telehealth, focusing on reducing behavioral symptoms of dementia and caregiver stress. Unlike traditional in-person programs, it offers remote access, making it more convenient for caregivers who may have difficulty attending sessions in person. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Tele-STELLA for Alzheimer's caregivers?

Research on similar telehealth interventions, like TeleFAMILIES, shows that these programs can help caregivers of people with dementia by providing support and reducing stress. Additionally, other studies have found that remote support and training can improve caregivers' skills and help manage challenging behaviors in dementia patients. ^{1 9 10 11 12}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Allison Lindauer, PhD

Principal Investigator

Oregon Health and Science University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for family members caring for individuals with moderate to late-stage Alzheimer's or related dementias, who are dealing with at least two distressing behaviors from the person they're caring for that happen three or more times a week.

Inclusion Criteria

My family member has been diagnosed with moderate to late-stage Alzheimer's or related dementia.

Exhibits 2 or more behaviors listed on RMBPC that are bothersome to the Care Partner and occur 3 or more times/week at study enrollment

Care Recipient

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Tele-STELLA intervention where Care Partners and Guides meet via videoconference to manage behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

8 sessions

8 virtual sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in behavioral symptoms and Care Partner burden

12 months

Post-intervention Support

Care Partners are linked to each other to sustain support after the main intervention

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Tele-STELLA

Trial Overview Tele-STELLA, a videoconference-based program, is being tested. It aims to educate and support caregivers by helping them manage difficult behaviors associated with advanced dementia through sessions with professional Guides.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Care Partners Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Based on previous work, we will recruit up to 75 Care Partners and their 75 care recipients with dementia. This allows for 20% attrition. We will recruit participants from Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) and other national locations.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Oregon Health and Science University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,024

Recruited

7,420,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The Tele-STELLA intervention, involving 124 family Care Partners of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, aims to improve the management of behavioral symptoms through two 8-week videoconferencing components, enhancing both caregiver skills and support networks.

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of Tele-STELLA in reducing behavioral symptoms and caregiver reactivity, addressing a critical need for accessible support for families dealing with advanced dementia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Tele-STELLA protocol: Telehealth-based support for families living with later-stage Alzheimer's disease. Lindauer, A., Messecar, D., McKenzie, G., et al.[2022]

The TeleFAMILIES telehealth intervention significantly reduced caregiver burden and depressive symptoms among 216 caregivers of persons with dementia, with notable improvements in scores on the Zarit Burden Interview and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

Caregivers using the TeleFAMILIES program experienced greater improvements in managing behavioral symptoms of dementia compared to those receiving in-person support, highlighting the effectiveness and convenience of telehealth services in caregiver support.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the efficacy of TeleFAMILIES: a telehealth intervention for caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia. Rice, JD., Sperling, SA., Brown, DS., et al.[2022]

Televideo monitoring significantly improved medication compliance in individuals with mild dementia, achieving an 81% compliance rate compared to 66% in the control group, based on over 4000 interactions with 8 participants.

The study demonstrated that while video-monitored participants maintained stable compliance, those without monitoring experienced a decline in compliance, highlighting the potential of this technology to support medication management in vulnerable populations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Telehealth home monitoring of solitary persons with mild dementia. Smith, GE., Lunde, AM., Hathaway, JC., et al.[2017]

Citations

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Tele-STELLA protocol: Telehealth-based support for families living with later-stage Alzheimer's disease. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating the efficacy of TeleFAMILIES: a telehealth intervention for caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia. [2022]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Six-Month Effectiveness of Remote Activity Monitoring for Persons Living With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers: An Experimental Mixed Methods Study. [2023]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A telephone-delivered psychosocial intervention improves dementia caregiver adjustment following nursing home placement. [2011]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A home-based training program improves caregivers' skills and dementia patients' aggressive behaviors: a randomized controlled trial. [2013]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Testing Tele-Savvy: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial. [2019]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Online support and education for dementia caregivers: overview, utilization, and initial program evaluation. [2022]

8. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Telehealth home monitoring of solitary persons with mild dementia. [2017]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dementia Caregivers' Experiences and Reactions to Remote Activity Monitoring System Alerts. [2022]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Tele-Savvy Outcomes of Non-Hispanic Black American and White Caregivers. [2023]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Care for Me, Too": A Novel Framework for Improved Communication and Support Between Dementia Caregivers and the Home Health Care Team. [2023]

12. France pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[The use of videoconferencing in psychogeriatrics, a pilot experiment]. [2021]