Family members who treat and care for persons with Alzheimer's disease have the opportunity to learn more about the disease and the skills required to care for their relatives as part of a research study that focuses on the personal care and behavioral issues of people with Alzheimer's disease that live at home.
The Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is offering this research study on June 12 to July 17 at The Renaissance at South Shore, 2425 E. 71st St., Chicago, IL. People who qualify for the study are those who have a relative diagnosed with the disease or some other progressive dementia; have noticed significant disruptive behaviors in the past month, such as wandering, pacing, anger, agitation; assist their relative with personal care including, bathing, dressing, and transferring; live with the impaired person; and have served as the relative's primary caregiver for at least six months.
Family caregivers will learn skills they need to provide at-home care to their loved ones with Alzheimer's disease including keys to coping with behavioral changes. Also, caregivers will learn about community resources available for help.
Program participants will engage in five, 2 hour group daytime sessions held over the course of five consecutive weeks, with weekly follow-up telephone calls for the next seven weeks. The group will reconvene at six and 12 months for additional group sessions. Researchers will contact participants via telephone five times during the year period to gather additional information.
The Caregiver Intervention Study is being offered as a part of a research study designed to examine if caregivers' stress levels decrease after they receive additional education on how to target and cope with difficult behaviors associated with Alzheimer's patients.
To enroll in the Caregiver Intervention Study, please call Phyllis Moore, Research Coordinator at Rush, at 312-942-8750. Those persons interested will be screened to ensure that they meet study criteria. Study enrollment will end on June 5.
The Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center was established at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in 1985. The Center is devoted to the care and evaluation of persons with Alzheimer's disease, the education of professional and family caregivers, and the research into the causes, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
The Rush Center holds the distinction of serving the largest number of patients and families in the United States among the 27 federally funded centers working together to conquer Alzheimer's disease.
Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center includes the 809-bed Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital; 154-bed Johnston R. Bowman Health Center for the Elderly; Rush University (Rush Medical College, College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences and Graduate College); and seven Rush Institutes providing diagnosis, treatment and research into leading health problems. The medical center is the tertiary hub of the Rush System for Health, a comprehensive healthcare system capable of serving about three million people through its outpatient facilities and eight member hospitals.