Clinical Research Directory

Caring for Caregivers

What is this study about? This study is called the EMBRACE Study - A Virtual Community Empowerment Approach Integrating Tradition and Technology for Family Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease. It tests whether a home-based virtual exercise program can reduce depression and anxiety in family caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Why is this study needed? Caring for a loved one with ADRD is demanding and is strongly linked to depression and anxiety. Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce these symptoms - but caregivers often cannot leave home to exercise due to the needs of their loved one, transportation concerns, and safety issues. What does participation involve? Participants will be randomly assigned (like a coin flip) to one of two groups: * EMBRACE group: 24 weekly virtual group exercise sessions over 3 months (about 1 hour each), using an at-home elliptical device provided by the study. Months 4-6 include weekly check-in calls to support independent exercise. Educational sessions on habit-building and goal-setting are included. * Wait-list control group: Completes the same surveys and measurements; receives the program after data collection ends. Who can join? Adults (18+) who are the primary unpaid caregiver for someone with ADRD, can read and speak English, and are healthy enough to exercise. Participants do not need to leave home - everything is virtual. What is being measured? Exercise time (using a wearable device), symptoms of depression and anxiety, and whether the program is feasible and acceptable to participants. Where is the study based? Indiana University Indianapolis. The study is conducted entirely virtually and remotely.

Innovative Web-based Service Platform Called Adult Wellbeing CheckUp (AWC) to Assess Older Adults Wellbeing, Obtain Evidence-based Recommendations, and Receive Support to Take Action.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a web-based program called the Adult Wellbeing CheckUp (AWC) can help older adults improve their wellbeing and take actions to support healthy aging. The study will include adults aged 60 years and older, including both older adults and people who care for someone living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does using the Adult Wellbeing CheckUp increase participants' ability to manage their health and wellbeing, measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13)? 2. Do participants who use the Adult Wellbeing CheckUp take more actions to improve their wellbeing compared with those who do not use the program? Researchers will compare participants who use the AWC platform with participants who receive general healthy aging information to see whether the AWC program leads to greater improvements in wellbeing and health engagement. The AWC platform is an online tool that helps older adults review their wellbeing across several areas of life, such as physical health, mental health, social connections, and daily habits. After completing an online assessment, the platform provides personal action plans and specific recommendations to help participants improve areas where their wellbeing scores are low. About 496 participants aged 60 and older will take part in this study. This group will include both older adults and care partners for people living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. Participants will take part in the study for about 24 weeks (6 months). Participants will be randomly assigned (by chance) to one of two groups: 1. Intervention group: Participants will create an account and use the Adult Wellbeing CheckUp platform for 24 weeks. They will complete a wellbeing assessment and receive personal action plans and specific recommendations. They will also receive weekly encouragement messages and personalized check-ins by email or text. 2. Comparison group: Participants will complete the same baseline assessment but will not have access to the AWC platform during the study. Instead, they will receive weekly general healthy aging information by email. All participants will complete surveys at the start of the study, at 12 weeks, and at 24 weeks. These surveys will measure health engagement, wellbeing, and actions taken to improve wellbeing. After the study ends, participants in the comparison group may be offered access to the platform in a future time. Researchers will use the results of this study to learn whether the Adult Wellbeing CheckUp can help older adults take meaningful steps to improve their health and wellbeing.