Helping caregivers of people with dementia who have swallowing difficulties
Official title: Reducing Burden in Care Partners of Community-Dwelling Persons with Dementia and Oropharyngeal Dysphagia
Funded at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-10899419 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a helpful online tool for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and related conditions who have trouble swallowing, so they can get the support and resources they need to make mealtime easier and improve everyone's quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $414,552 |
| NIH project number | 5R61AG079930-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10899419 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are caregivers of community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and older who have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias and experience oropharyngeal dysphagia.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, or who do not experience swallowing difficulties, may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop and test a web-based tool called WeCareToFeedDysphagia, designed to support caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who experience oropharyngeal dysphagia. The project will first adapt and refine the tool based on caregiver feedback, followed by a larger trial to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing caregiver burden. The tool will provide caregivers with essential knowledge, skills, and resources to manage feeding challenges, ultimately improving their quality of life and that of the patients they care for.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly alleviate the stress and challenges faced by caregivers of individuals with dementia and swallowing difficulties.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that caregiver support tools can effectively reduce caregiver burden, indicating a promising avenue for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Manhasset, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sinvani, Liron Danay — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Sinvani, Liron Danay
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Reducing Burden for Care Partners of People with Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias
This project tests a user-friendly Web tool to help care partners of people with dementia manage oropharyngeal dysphagia and reduce daily caregiving burden.
-
Web program to help caregivers safely feed loved ones with dementia who have trouble swallowing
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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.