IT-based community support and peer navigation for dementia caregivers
CommunityRx-Dementia + Peer Navigation (CRxDpeer): A Real-World Implementation and Effectiveness Study of an IT-Based Social Care Intervention
An online and phone-based program where trained peer caregivers help family and unpaid caregivers of people with dementia find local services and get ongoing support.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301823 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, a trained peer caregiver navigator from your health system will contact you remotely, explain common caregiving issues, and provide a personalized list of community resources such as respite care, support groups, and legal or financial help. The navigator will offer ongoing help connecting you to those services using simple IT tools that track needs over time. The program is delivered through healthcare settings and designed to reach diverse caregivers, including people in historically marginalized communities. Participation mainly involves remote conversations, receiving resource information, and occasional follow-up.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are unpaid family or friend caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who want help locating and using community supports.
Not a fit: People who are not unpaid caregivers, who already have comprehensive navigation support, or who do not want remote/phone-based assistance may not receive benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for caregivers to find local services, reduce caregiver stress, and provide more consistent support over time.
How similar studies have performed: Prior CommunityRx trials have shown promise using community navigation approaches, but scaling peer caregiver navigation specifically for dementia is a newer application.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lindau, Stacy Tessler — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Lindau, Stacy Tessler
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.