Dementia care staff study: adapting a US survey for use in many countries
Official title: Study of Dementia Care Staff: Adaptation of Instruments for multinational research (SUSTAIN)
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11619906 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study is adapting and testing a survey for dementia care workers in the US, Brazil, Switzerland, and Ghana to help understand why workers stay in their jobs and how to improve care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 2, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $28,854 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG096300-01S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11619906 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Care facilities and staff involved in dementia care in the participating countries (US, Brazil, Switzerland, Ghana) and administrators.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefits will come from improved policies and workforce practices; some facilities or individuals may not see immediate changes.
What this research studies
This project takes a U.S. survey about dementia care workers and tailors it for use in four countries with different income levels. It will translate and culturally adapt the instruments so researchers can compare results across sites. The study will recruit about 600 care workers and 60 administrators from long-term care facilities to field the adapted survey and gather internationally comparable data.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform policies and practices to improve retention of dementia care staff and thereby enhance care for people living with dementia.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier U.S. work on dementia workforce is being expanded to international contexts in this project.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Unroe, Kathleen T — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Unroe, Kathleen T
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Investigating how DNA damage and repair mechanisms are altered in ALS and frontotemporal dementia.
This study is looking at how problems with DNA repair might contribute to conditions like ALS and frontotemporal dementia, and it’s testing ways to fix these issues in cells from patients to help develop new treatments.
-
Synthetic protein mimetics to treat Lewy Body Dementia
A new therapeutic approach using engineered protein-like molecules to block the harmful protein clumps that cause Lewy Body Dementia.
-
Dementia care staff study: adapting a survey for use in many countries
A multinational study will adapt and test a U.S. dementia-care worker survey in Brazil, Switzerland, and Ghana to help understand why staff stay in or leave long-term care settings.
-
Study of Dementia Care Staff in 4 Countries: Adapting Caregiver Surveys Across Cultures
A multinational project will adapt and test a dementia care worker survey so researchers can compare care environments across the US, Brazil, Switzerland, and Ghana.
-
New biomarkers to distinguish LATE from Alzheimer’s disease in dementia
A study to develop blood and CSF tests that can tell apart LATE from Alzheimer’s disease in people with dementia.
-
BBB Dysfunction after Stroke and Risk for Dementia
A study at Stanford will look at whether inflammation after a stroke leads to leaky blood vessels and later dementia, by following stroke survivors and comparing them with people without stroke.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.