ABSTRACT
Caregiving for individuals with Alzheimers disease and related dementias (ADRD) and Traumatic Brain Injury-related dementia has been associated with increased risk of both psychiatric morbidity and mortality, including higher risks of depression, anxiety, poor quality of life, and even early mortality. Although there are several beneficial interventions for caregivers of persons with AD, interventions that can help build skills to recognize and manage stress as well as enhance compassion in caregivers are urgently needed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed intervention, Practice of Acceptance, Awareness, and Compassion in Caregiving (PAACC) that integrates mindfulness training with caregiving skills training. Several studies have shown effectiveness of mindfulness in decreasing caregiver burden in caregivers of individuals with cognitive deficits, but most of them did not provide caregiving skills training with mindfulness. Our study hypothesis is that intervention such as PAACC which combines education, skill building, and mindfulness practices will enhance caregiving skills and will reduce caregiver stress as well as increase quality of life of the care recipient. The objective of the study will be accomplished by conducting a randomized control trial to test effectiveness of PAACC and compare it with existing cognitive behavior-based intervention called Resources for Enhancing Alzheimers Caregiver Health (REACH).