Dementia Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool

The purpose of this study is to adapt CHAT for care partners of hospitalized patients living with ADRD (CHAT-AD) and evaluate its feasibility and potential efficacy in a pilot randomized clinical trial. Findings from this study will enable the lead researcher to launch an independent program of research that aims to (1) improve hospital-based care processes and outcomes for patients living with ADRD and their care partners, and (2) make clear the essential caregiving role that so many care partners of patients living with ADRD assume. In order to adapt CHAT, there will be two design teams with key stakeholders from local aging networks and a large academic medical system: one team comprised of previously hospitalized patients living with ADRD and their care partners (N=7 dyads) and the second comprised of healthcare system administrators and clinicians (N=7). The team will use a validated participatory human-centered design process in which each team completes 5 co-design videoconference sessions that occur in parallel across 4 months, with 2-3 weeks between each session. Upon adaptation of the CHAT-AD, the study team will partner with a medical and surgical units that are part of a large academic medical system to recruit 128 eligible care partners of hospitalized patients living with ADRD, randomized into either the CHAT-AD plus usual care or usual care-only groups. The team will assess feasibility by examining overall recruitment, attrition, safety, adherence, and implementation satisfaction. To examine efficacy, a validated measure of caregiving preparedness will be obtained pre- and post-intervention.