Improving nursing home care for people with serious mental illness and Alzheimer's/dementia
Addressing Disparities in Nursing Homes for People with Serious Mental Illness and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
This project looks at how nursing homes care for adults with serious mental illness and Alzheimer's or related dementias to find fairer, more effective ways to support them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11322113 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze nursing home records and other data to measure how common serious mental illness (SMI) and dementia are among residents and how outcomes differ by race and ethnicity. They will compare quality and health outcomes for residents with SMI alone and those with both SMI and Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (AD/ADRD). The team will identify modifiable facility-level practices—such as staffing, training, admission policies, or care processes—that relate to better or worse outcomes. Their goal is to produce practical recommendations nursing homes can use to improve equitable care for this vulnerable group.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults (21+) living in nursing homes who have a serious mental illness (for example, schizophrenia) and/or Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, plus their family caregivers or facility staff as needed.
Not a fit: People who live independently in the community or who do not have SMI or ADRD are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help nursing homes provide fairer, higher-quality care and reduce disparities for residents with serious mental illness and dementia.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have documented rising SMI prevalence and racial disparities in nursing homes, but few have focused specifically on the combined challenge of SMI plus ADRD or on practical organizational fixes, so this work builds on known problems while seeking novel, usable solutions.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shippee, Tetyana P. — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Shippee, Tetyana P.
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 below.