CarePair: a smartphone app that matches dementia family caregivers to services
Testing & Refinement of CarePair: An Assessment and Referral Platform to Support Family Caregivers of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.
This six-week test tries to see if the CarePair mobile app helps family caregivers of people with dementia find needed services and feel less stressed.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Southern California Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, California) |
| Trial ID | NCT06418971 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
CarePair is a mobile application that guides family caregivers through a structured needs assessment and then suggests tailored service referrals using algorithmic matching. Enrolled caregivers will use the app and complete study activities for six weeks while researchers compare outcomes to an attention-control group. The platform factors in individual needs, preferences (in-person or virtual), and common barriers such as work or lack of respite to refine referrals over time. Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability of the app and changes in depressive symptoms, caregiver burden, and caregiver self-efficacy at follow-up.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are English-speaking adults who are the primary unpaid caregiver of a community-dwelling person with dementia, have provided at least six months of care and at least 10 hours per week, own and can operate a smartphone with internet access, and live in or can easily access the listed study regions.
Not a fit: Caregivers who are not primary, care recipients living in residential facilities, those without a smartphone or internet, non–English speakers, people with self-reported cognitive impairment, or those living outside the specified regions are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, CarePair could help caregivers more quickly find relevant, affordable supports and reduce stress, depression, and caregiving burden.
How similar studies have performed: Prior digital interventions for dementia caregivers have shown mixed but sometimes modest improvements in burden and mood, while personalized, algorithm-driven referral platforms remain relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion: * Currently a primary caregiver of a community-dwelling PwD * Provides at least 10 hours of care per week * ≥18 years of age * Fluent in English * Both the caregiver and care-recipient reside in and/or can easily access one of the following cities/areas: New York City, New York (NY); Long Island, NY; Westchester County, NY; Seattle, Washington (WA); Los Angeles, California (CA) * Provides at least 10 hours of care per week * Has provided care for at least 6 months * Able to use the internet and has internet access * Owns and can operate a smartphone * Able and willing to provide their informed consent to participate for the six-week study duration * Does not self-report any cognitive impairments Exclusion: * Not currently the primary caregiver of a community-dwelling person with dementia * Care-recipient lives in residential care (e.g., assisted living, skilled nursing facility) * ≤18 years of age * Not fluent in English * The caregiver and/or care-recipient resides outside of and/or cannot easily access any of the following cities: New York City (NY); Long Island (NY); Westchester County (NY); Seattle (WA); Los Angeles (CA) * Provides less than 10 hours of care per week * Has provided care for less than 6 months * Unable to use the internet or does not have internet access * Does not own and/or cannot operate a smartphone * Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent to participate for the six-week study duration * Self-reports having a cognitive impairment
Where this trial is running
Los Angeles, California
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, California, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Francesca Falzarano, PhD — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Francesca B Falzarano, PhD
- Email: falzaran@usc.edu
- Phone: 6464812858
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.