Primary care interventions for dementia caregivers: 2-year outcomes from the REACH studyCitation Burns, R., Nichols, L.O., Martindale-Adams, J., Graney, M. & Lummus, A.(2003). Primary care interventions for dementia caregivers: 2-year outcomes from the REACH study. The Gerontologist, 43(4), (547-555). Design 24-month randomized clinical trial Participants 167 caregiver-care recipient dyads. Outcome / Dependent Variables Caregiver well-being, anxiety, general health, vitality, depression, self-control, mental health measured on the Modified General Well-being scale. Caregiver depression measured on CES-D. Bothersome behaviors measured on the Revised Memory and Behavior Checklist (RMBPC).
Procedure Behavior Care intervention: focused solely on improving the caregiver's management of the care receiver's behavioral problems (repeated questions or wandering) using 25 pamphlets addressing particular behaviors. Enhanced Care interventions: focused on same problem behaviors but also on improving the caregiver's own well-being in response to those problems (guilt, grief) using an additional 12 pamphlets geared toward caregiver well-being.
Outcomes Enhanced Care participants had significantly greater distress. Enhanced care group had relatively stable CES-D scores (12). Behavior Care participants averaged a score of 16 which is associated with increased risk of depression. Both groups showed significant decrease in RMBPC scores.
Author Burns, R., Nichols, L.O., Martindale-Adams, J., Graney, M. & Lummus, A. | 
