# Couples Managing Early-Stage Dementia: Mutual Influences on Daily Stress, Self-Care, and Well-Being

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2021 · $21,600

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are an increasing public health concern, currently
affecting more than 5 million US adults and about 3 million of their spousal caregivers. The parent K01 grant
(NIA K01 AG059829) is centered on understanding mutual influences among couples living with early-stage
ADRD in their daily stress, self-care, and well-being. In response to NOT-AG-20-022: NIA Availability of
Administrative Supplements and Revision Supplements on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the
proposed administrative supplement will address the immediate and time-sensitive needs of couples living with
early-stage ADRD that were unanticipated by the parent grant. In line with the NIA research interests stated in
NOT-AG-20-022, this project will evaluate how social distancing impacts the care and well-being of persons
living with ADRD. This project will conduct baseline phone interviews and 7 days of daily phone interviews with
40 community-dwelling couples living with early-stage ADRD to determine: 1) how the pandemic has affected
daily experiences and their links to daily coping within care dyads; 2) how social distancing has impacted the
spousal care relationship and its links to daily coping within care dyads during the pandemic; and 3) how
psychosocial resources (self-efficacy, individual and dyadic coping, overall social support and strain, and
loneliness) moderate these associations. This administrative supplement will build on the third K01 training aim
to develop expertise in intensive repeated measures designs to examine daily stress and well-being within care
dyads. The proposed supplement will also build on two of the K01 research aims: Aim 1 to examine the links
among own and partner reports of daily stressors, self-care, and well-being dyads; and Aim 3 to identify which
individuals and couples are more or less resilient by evaluating how psychosocial resources moderate these
associations. This project will advance knowledge of the multifaceted ways that major chronic stressors such
as the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the spousal care relationship. As the nation prepares for a second
potential surge of COVID-19 in the Fall/Winter of 2020, the findings will also inform targeted public health
strategies to improve and sustain the long-term well-being of an especially vulnerable subgroup of older adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10188060
- **Project number:** 3K01AG059829-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Courtney A. Polenick
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $21,600
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10188060

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10188060, Couples Managing Early-Stage Dementia: Mutual Influences on Daily Stress, Self-Care, and Well-Being (3K01AG059829-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10188060. Licensed CC0.

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