National tracking of aging, dementia, and family caregiving
The National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving
Collects yearly health, memory, activity, and caregiving information from older adults and their family caregivers across the U.S. to learn more about aging and dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310209 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You or a family member could be invited to share health, memory, and daily function information in yearly interviews as part of a nationally representative group of Medicare enrollees. Older participants typically have an annual in-person visit, while family caregivers take part through web or phone follow-ups. The project also adds wearable activity monitors to measure movement, sedentary time, and sleep, and links participants' residential histories to neighborhood data. These combined approaches are meant to track how disability and dementia develop over time and how care needs affect families and communities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are Medicare-enrolled older adults (including those with or at risk for Alzheimer's or related dementias) and their family or unpaid caregivers anywhere in the United States.
Not a fit: People seeking a new treatment or immediate clinical benefit, or individuals who are not older adults or caregivers, are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve understanding of how dementia changes daily life and guide better services, supports, and policies for older adults and their caregivers.
How similar studies have performed: This continues and expands well-established national aging and caregiving cohorts that have previously produced important findings about dementia, disability, and caregiver burden.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schrack, Jennifer Ann — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Schrack, Jennifer Ann
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.