Wellness

Jake Ellison

UW News

The UW is seeking to understanding how to adapt an evidence-based intervention for Latino caregivers of family or close friends with dementia.Magda Ehlers/Pexels

With Latinos 1.5 times more likely to have dementia than non-Latino whites, among other health disparities, researchers at the University of Washington are hoping to better understand Latino family caregivers and adapt the training available to those caregivers.

To do that, the UW Department of Health Services is seeking to interview Latino caregivers for a study to increase the cultural relevance of STAR-C  training — a non-pharmacological intervention endorsed by the Administration on Aging that trains caregivers to manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.Download fliers in Spanish and English explaining the study and how to get involved here.

“Our study will improve our understanding of how to adapt an evidence-based intervention for family caregivers of people with dementia. The culturally-adapted intervention is expected to reflect the values and preferences of Latino families,” said Magaly Ramirez, the study’s principal investigator and an assistant professor of health services in the UW School of Public Health.

“Culturally adapted interventions improve reach, engagement, effectiveness and sustainability. In the long term, the goal of our research is to help eliminate health inequities among Latino families impacted by dementia,” Ramirez said.

Improved training will focus on helping family caregivers manage some of the challenging behaviors experienced by people with dementia, such as crying, arguing, refusing to accept help and waking family members up at night.

The UW researchers would like to spread the word that they are looking for study participants.

This study would be a good fit for caregivers who:

• Identify as Hispanic/Latino
• Take care of a family member or close friend diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia or
• Have a family member or close friend who is experiencing behavior issues

Study participants will complete a 10-minute survey and a one-hour interview by phone or Zoom and will receive $45 as a thank you for participating.

To learn more about the study or to volunteer, contact research coordinator Miriana Duran at mdp19@uw.edu or 206-221-6206.

This research is being supported by a grant from the nonprofit Alzheimer’s Association.

This was taken from https://www.washington.edu/news/2020/10/22/uw-seeks-latinos-caring-for-relatives-friends-with-dementia-to-develop-better-training-program/.