# Empathy, Support Exchanges, and Well-Being in Older Couples Coping With Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2021 · $424,269

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Spouses typically take on the primary caregiver role when older adults have Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which
reduces their own well-being. These caregivers, however, vary in the quality of care they provide and the
burdens they face. Scholars propose that caregivers’ empathy (i.e., their ability to share and understand
others’ emotions) explains this variation and they view empathy as a key point of intervention with caregivers.
Yet, little is known about the mechanism through which empathy influences caregiving experiences and
outcomes, which hinders the development of interventions intended to benefit both older adults with AD and
their caregivers. The proposed study seeks to distinguish among multiple aspects of empathy that have been
intertwined in prior research and identify the aspects that facilitate effective caregiving. We also propose to
utilize a dyadic approach and examine positive contributions of older adults with AD, who have often been
viewed solely as a source of stress and burden. Theories of dyadic coping posit that members of a dyad may
engage in joint problem solving in the face of shared stressors including AD-related problems, and that
effective dyadic coping is crucial for maintaining both dyad members’ well-being. Older adults with early stage
(i.e., mild-to-moderate) AD have preserved socioemotional skills that may allow for the provision of emotional
support, and they may also still be able to offer instrumental support with easy tasks. Moreover, these older
adults report empathy levels comparable to those of healthy normal older adults, and their empathy likely
influences their own behaviors and the care their partners provide. This R21 presents an innovative study that
will investigate the dynamics of support exchanges in older couples coping with early stage AD, and examine
the dyadic associations between empathy, support exchanges, and well-being. We will draw on self-report data
from older adults with early stage probable or possible AD and their spousal caregivers (N = 60 dyads). Aim 1
will investigate how both dyad members’ empathy is associated with the frequency and quality of support to
and from each other. Aim 2 will examine how both dyad members’ empathy is associated with their appraisal
of support to and from each other. Aim 3 will identify how both dyad members’ empathy is associated with their
well-being and consider support experience as an underlying mechanism. We propose to examine within- and
cross-spouse quantitative associations, and rely on qualitative data to better understand the meanings and
processes underlying these associations. We also will compare associations between dyad members. Findings
will advance our understanding of how AD care emanates from an ongoing close tie and how empathy, as a
prominent dimension of this tie, facilitates mutually beneficial exchanges. This study will provide essential
knowledge to guide the development and refinement of nondrug care interventi...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10299814
- **Project number:** 1R21AG069045-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Meng Huo
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $424,269
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-15 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10299814

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10299814, Empathy, Support Exchanges, and Well-Being in Older Couples Coping With Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease (1R21AG069045-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10299814. Licensed CC0.

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