# Olera - Online Platform to Increase Access to Personalized Educational and Professional Assistance for AD/ADRD Caregivers

> **NIH NIH R44** · OLERA INC. · 2022 · $983,732

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
There are currently about 5.8 million older adults living with Alzheimer’s dementia, and the numbers are only
expected to grow in the coming decades. The majority of care for persons living with dementia (PLWD) is
provided by family members who lack formal training in caregiving and thus need education, information, and
assistance. While an array of technology solutions for caregiving has been suggested to meet these needs, the
adoption rate has been low, potentially due to poor usability (e.g., difficult to use) and lack of contextual
relevancy. The long-term objective of this proposed research is to develop a technology-based solution that
integrates web and mobile platforms to link dementia caregivers with personalized information and resources
that are easily accessible by populations across the socioeconomic spectrum. The proposed study will focus
on information and educational materials on financial management and legal planning. Such information will be
helpful for caregivers experiencing difficulties due to their immediate caregiving responsibilities, as well as
those transitioning in their roles and responsibilities as the PLWD’s health condition progresses. This
collaborative project, involving industrial, academic, and community partners, is oriented around two specific
aims: (Phase 1 Specific Aim 1) Development of the digital platform based on a novel Dementia Care
Personalization Algorithm and initial feasibility assessment. Framed around an interactive Design
Thinking product design methodology, phase 1 consists of the iterative process: Build, Measure, and Learn. A
pilot group of 25 dementia caregivers will be recruited to serve as a user feedback panel. Our milestone for
moving to Phase 2 will be assurance of the feasibility of the digital platform assessed using metrics from the
adapted Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and Technology Adoption Model (TAM). (Phase 2 Specific
Aim 2) Evaluation of the acceptance of the developed digital platform across racial/ethnic populations.
Phase 2 is a prospective usability study to evaluate the acceptance of the proposed digital platform across
three different racial/ethnic populations of dementia caregivers in Texas (N = 300; n = 100 African Americans,
n = 100 Hispanic/Latinx, and n = 100 non-Hispanic Whites). The prospective feature of the study design will
enable the enrolled participants to explore and use the developed digital platform for about 4 weeks to provide
multiple assessments of the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and value. At the completion of the two
specific aims, we expect to have developed a widely accessible digital platform tailored to assist dementia
caregivers in navigating through financial and legal challenges by linking caregivers to personalized and
contextually relevant information and resources in the Texas area. If successful, the proposed
commercialization plan anticipates further deployment of the developed digital platform by working with
pro...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10654946
- **Project number:** 4R44AG074116-02
- **Recipient organization:** OLERA INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Tokunbo Falohun
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $983,732
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2021-09-05 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10654946

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10654946, Olera - Online Platform to Increase Access to Personalized Educational and Professional Assistance for AD/ADRD Caregivers (4R44AG074116-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10654946. Licensed CC0.

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