Video telehealth check of daily function for Veterans with dementia
Official title: Feasibility of a Video Telehealth Functional Assessment for Veterans with Dementia
Funded at Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital · NIH-11190848 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether a VA video visit can be used to check how well Veterans aged 65 and older with dementia manage everyday activities, with help from their caregivers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bedford, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I21RX004892-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190848 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans age 65 or older with a dementia diagnosis who receive dementia care at VA Bedford HCS and have a caregiver available to help with a VA Video Connect visit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without reliable internet or a device for video visits, without a caregiver to assist, or who need urgent in-person medical evaluation are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would use VA Video Connect (VVC) so a clinician can watch you do everyday tasks like medication management or tooth brushing from home. The team will create step-by-step protocols for doing these video visits and get feedback from Veterans, caregivers, and clinicians. They will pilot the video-based assessment with older Veterans (65+) who get dementia care at VA Bedford and their caregivers to see if it works and is acceptable. The study focuses on making the approach practical for people who live far from clinics or who have trouble traveling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier for Veterans with dementia to get timely help and support at home so they can stay independent longer.
How similar studies have gone: Telehealth has been used for dementia care broadly, but using live video to observe everyday tasks as a formal functional check is relatively new and only supported by limited pilot work.
Where this research is happening
-
Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
Bedford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gately, Megan Elizabeth — Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gately, Megan Elizabeth
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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.