# Virtual Coaching to Maximize Dementia Caregivers' Respite Time-Use: A Stage 1 Pilot Test for Feasibility and Efficacy

> **NIH NIH R01** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2020 · $456,971

## Abstract

Respite, defined as time away from caregiving, has been identified as the most needed and desired service for
family caregivers, especially the 16 million dementia caregivers who are faced with long term and demanding
caregiving circumstances. Findings on the effectiveness of respite services have been mixed -- how caregivers
spend their respite time seems to be a key factor behind these inconsistent findings. We have developed a
novel intervention called “Time for Living & Caring” (TLC) that shows promise in improving respite time-use
and maintaining caregiver wellbeing. However, it relies on trained facilitators and up to 15-20 individual home
visits or phone calls with each caregiver, limiting its scalability to real world practice. The purpose of this study
is to redevelop the TLC intervention, in which AD/ADRD caregivers are taught strategies to assess and
identify ways to spend upcoming periods of respite time, to a fully online, self-administered virtual
coaching format, and then to pilot-test the new TLC intervention for feasibility and efficacy. Aim 1 is to
modify, adapt, and refine the existing intervention modules. This phase of the project utilizes a community-
engaged design process where stakeholders (i.e., current or former caregivers, diverse community leaders,
respite providers) will work alongside the research, technical, and creative teams to develop and provide
feedback on the TLC design, features, and prototypes. Aim 2 is to conduct a pilot test with dementia caregivers
who are currently using respite. This phase uses a full powered pilot sample (n=120) and a randomized waitlist
control experimental design where participants are exposed to the redeveloped TLC intervention for 8 weeks
and will provide assessments of daily respite use, respite time-use satisfaction, and wellbeing. These pilot data
will be used to assess feasibility and to explore hypotheses regarding the potential efficacy of the intervention,
as well as the mechanism (i.e., time-use satisfaction) underlying the intervention's effect on wellbeing.
Wellbeing is measured with two primary outcome of anxiety and caregiver burden, both thought to be closely
related and responsive to intervention's purpose. Aim 3 is intended to explore future implementation of the
redeveloped TLC intervention with respite providers. This provides yet another layer of the tool's feasibility.
We will host webinars to demonstrate the features and functionality of the TLC intervention as well as to
preview pilot study results from Aim 2, then ask providers for feedback on their likelihood of implementation
and barriers to using TLC with their clients. Together, these three aims represent a comprehensive approach
to Stage 1 research activities, with the overall goal of developing an intervention that is scalable to real world
applications. Throughout all stages of the proposed project, our team is committed to community-engaged
research practices, where community partners will provide inp...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9983551
- **Project number:** 5R01AG061946-03
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** Rebecca Lynn Utz
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $456,971
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9983551

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9983551, Virtual Coaching to Maximize Dementia Caregivers' Respite Time-Use: A Stage 1 Pilot Test for Feasibility and Efficacy (5R01AG061946-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9983551. Licensed CC0.

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