# Older Adults Living with Alzheimer's Disease and their Caregivers: Testing an Evidence-Based Intervention for Underserved Populations

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $683,916

## Abstract

The Institute of Medicine identifies sexual/gender minority older adults as one of the most
underserved populations, with significant health disparities. This at-risk group faces serious
barriers to healthcare access, bias in health settings, and a lack of culturally competent care.
The number of sexual/gender minority older adults living with Alzheimer's disease and related
dementias (AD/RD) and their caregivers (CGs) are growing rapidly, and will exceed 4 million by
2060. The lack of efficacious research-based interventions implemented to reduce disability and
depression, and improve quality of life for these older adults living with AD/RD and their CGs,is
a significant public health problem. Research has documented the protective role of CGs in the
health of older adults living with AD/RD as well as CGs' hardships and challenges in caregiving
and the impact of caregiving on health deterioration. Caregiving of such vulnerable older adults
with AD/RD is particularly of concern due to this population's lower rate of cross-generational
ties and their social stigma and isolation, which may be barriers to sustaining caregiving
relationships. This project builds on the success of two major NIH projects, Aging with Pride:
National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (2R01 AG026526; K. Fredriksen-Goldsen,
PI) and Reducing Disabilities in Alzheimer's Disease (RDAD); R01 AG10845; L. Teri, PI) and
will test the efficacy of an enhanced RDAD intervention for stigmatized populations addressing
identity management, historical trauma and diverse peer support networks. The project will
address the following aims: Aim 1. Test the translation and enhancement of RDAD designed to
increase physical activities of these vulnerable older adult CRs with AD/RD and their CGs
.
Aim
2. Evaluate the short- and long-term effect of the enhanced and standard RDAD on primary
(physical activity and functioning, perceived stress for CGs, institutionalization for CRs) and
secondary outcomes (HRQOL, depressive symptomatology, behavioral disturbances for CRs).
Aim 3. Test the moderating roles of CR-CG characteristics, e.g., type of CR-CG relationship,
sex, severity of CR AD/RD, on the treatment effect of the standard and enhanced RDAD. This
team of nationally recognized experts has more than 20 years of conducting Alzheimer's and
minority aging research, with the expertise and established relationships necessary to test the
first evidence-based intervention for demographically diverse vulnerable older adults living with
AD/RD and their CGs. The findings from this study will be fully disseminated through caregiving
and aging agencies, community-based organizations, and research networks across multiple
sites and settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10198715
- **Project number:** 5R01AG055488-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** KAREN Ilene FREDRIKSEN-GOLDSEN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $683,916
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10198715

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10198715, Older Adults Living with Alzheimer's Disease and their Caregivers: Testing an Evidence-Based Intervention for Underserved Populations (5R01AG055488-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10198715. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*