Screening and support to prevent caregiver and elder abuse in older adults with MCI or dementia
Official title: Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Caregiver and Elder Abuse Screening, Risk Assessment and Treatment to Improve Outcomes for Older and Vulnerable Adults with MCI/ADRD
Funded at University of Texas Med Br Galveston · NIH-11384231 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will create and use an easy screening tool plus brief support for older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their caregivers in primary care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Med Br Galveston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Galveston, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $738,817 |
| NIH project number | 4R33AG078519-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384231 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias who receive care at participating primary care clinics and their caregivers are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without cognitive impairment, those not receiving care at participating clinics, or those who are not at risk of caregiver or elder abuse may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will interview people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their caregivers to learn what increases or protects against elder abuse. They will build a simple primary-care screening that includes questions about caregiver risk and deliver a two-part brief educational support for patients and caregivers modeled on SBIRT. The team will pilot the screening and intervention in diverse primary care clinics around Galveston and southeast Texas to help staff spot and respond to abuse. Patients identified at risk may be offered referrals and resources to reduce harm.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect elder abuse earlier, reduce harm for people with MCI/ADRD, and connect families to helpful resources.
How similar studies have gone: SBIRT-style screening and brief interventions have worked in areas like substance use and intimate partner violence, but applying this approach specifically to elder abuse in people with MCI or dementia is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Med Br Galveston
Galveston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pappadis, Monique Renae — University of Texas Med Br Galveston
- Study coordinator: Pappadis, Monique Renae
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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.