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If you’re on my distribution list, I’d like to tell you that we are currently recruiting participants for the “Letters to Dementia” research project. If you know anyone who is caring for a person with dementia and may be interested in participating, please share this information with them.
I’m attaching a PDF recruitment flyer that can be downloaded and shared with groups and individuals who may wish to get involved. More details can be found below.Researchers from the University of Connecticut, Colorado State University, Crown College, and Shenandoah University are conducting a randomized controlled trial research study on a letter-writing experience for people who care for someone with dementia. We hope engaging in this study will benefit participating caregivers by providing an opportunity to express their thoughts and feel supported; we also hope to benefit the health community as a whole by increasing awareness and improving care processes through our findings.
We are recruiting individuals who:
- Identify as the primary caregiver for a person living with dementia
- Have noticed at least two of the following symptoms in the person with dementia within the last 3 years:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
- Have regular contact with the person for whom they provide care.
- Currently live in the United States
- Are comfortable reading and speaking English.
- Are 18 years old or older.
Participants in this study will be asked to do the following activities:
- Complete a survey.
- Write 3 letters over a 2-week timespan (instructions will be provided).
- Complete a survey.
Participants will receive a gift card via email to Amazon, Walmart, or Target at the end of the two-week study window. The gift card amount will be totaled based on which activities the participant completes (minimum value: $5.00; maximum value: $50.00):
- Pre-survey: $5
- Number of letters written:
- One letter: $7.50
- Two letters: $17.50 (total)
- Three letters: $27.50 (total)
- Post-survey: $7.50
- Bonus for completing all five components: +$10
To participate or ask questions, please contact our research team at [email protected].
Thank you for your consideration and for sharing this information with dementia caregivers as well as those who support them.
Background on the “Letters to Dementia” Research Project
Dr. R. Amanda Cooper (PI), Department of Communication, University of Connecticut
Dr. Meara Faw (Co-PI), Department of Communication Studies, Colorado State University
Dr. Michelle Matter (Co-PI), Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Crown College
Dr. Aaron Blight (Co-PI), Department of Public Health, Shenandoah University
Abstract
This project examines the potential of a low-cost intervention to improve caregiving interactions and caregiver/recipient well-being. The intervention draws from research establishing the physical and psychological health benefits of expressive writing and therapeutic letter writing. The study is a randomized controlled trial in which caregivers write three letters to their loved one’s dementia over a two-week intervention period. They will also complete pre-and post-surveys with measures assessing general frustration, quality of the caregiver-care recipient interactions, and caregiver/recipient well-being.
Recent evidence suggests that helping caregivers to think about dementia as a separate entity from their loved one promotes greater patience and more effective communication with the care recipient.[1] This letter-writing intervention holds the potential to (1) shift caregivers’ perceptions of dementia, the care recipient, and their caregiving situation; (2) improve caregivers’ interactions with the care recipient, thus improving the quality of care; and (3) enhance caregivers’ and care recipients’ well-being.
Key Words: dementia, caregiving, communication, expressive writing, therapeutic letter writing, intervention
[1] Cooper, R. A., & Segrin, C. (2024). Acknowledging dementia as an actor in the relationship: A facilitating mechanism promoting dementia family caregiver resilience. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 41(10), 2802-2823. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241254860 (Original work published 2024)
Posted in Caregiving, Research
