Improving hospice and palliative care for racially and ethnically minoritized older adults with Alzheimer's and related dementias

Improving hospice care for racial and ethnic minoritized older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)

NIH-funded research University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11249968

This project works to make hospice and palliative care easier to access and better suited for Black, Latinx, and Asian American older adults living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Francisco NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Francisco, United States)
Project IDNIH-11249968 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a patient's point of view, the team is studying how hospice care currently reaches and serves Black, Latinx, and Asian American older adults with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and what gets in the way of good care. They will combine health records and Medicare data with interviews and community input to learn where racial and ethnic barriers exist and how hospice and palliative approaches can be changed to fit dementia-specific needs like managing behavior. The researchers plan to work with community organizations and caregivers to co-design improvements that are culturally relevant and feasible in real-world settings. Findings will be used to recommend practical changes to hospice enrollment, caregiving supports, and symptom-management practices.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias and their caregivers from Black, Latinx, or Asian American communities, especially those eligible for Medicare or receiving hospice/palliative services.

Not a fit: People without Alzheimer’s or related dementias, or those not part of the targeted racial and ethnic groups or not within the study's recruitment area, may not directly benefit from this specific project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could increase equitable access to hospice and improve culturally tailored symptom management and support for minoritized people with dementia and their families.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows hospice can improve end-of-life quality for people with dementia but has documented racial and ethnic disparities, and this project is more focused and community-partnered in addressing how racism and fit of hospice care contribute to those gaps.

Where this research is happening

San Francisco, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Alzheimer disease dementiaAlzheimer syndromeAlzheimer's DiseaseAlzheimer's Disease and its related dementias
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.