A Dual-Component Nurse Practitioner Intervention to Improve Symptom Management for Caregivers of Persons Living With Dementia: A Pilot Study.

The number of patients living with dementia (PLWD) has steadily increased, making it the fifth leading cause of death among adults. While hospice care is standard for end-of-life symptom management, predicting 6-month survival is challenging, leaving many who could benefit ineligible. The study team conducted a single-armed pilot study implementing a nurse-practitioner-led telehealth program for caregivers at an outpatient clinic, focusing on symptom management for PLWD. The study team recruited 15 caregivers with a mean age of 68 years. Most were women (60%), non-Hispanic (80%), White (67%), and children of the patient (67%). A total of 86 tele-visits were conducted. Overall, 14 caregivers found it easy to learn how to access the tele-visits. In 85 of 86 visits, caregivers felt it addressed their concerns, and all (N = 15) were satisfied with the program. Caregiver burden (12-item Zarit Burden Interview) decreased significantly (β = -0.79 (95% CI -1.22 to -0.36), P = .001), with no significant change in anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), or pain scores (Doloplus-2). The data suggest that a nurse-practitioner-led telehealth program is a feasible and acceptable intervention for caregivers caring for PLWD, with improvement in caregiver burden scores. Future studies are needed to examine its efficacy and broader implementation.