Harmony at Home: A Pilot Telehealth Program for Rural ADRD Caregivers

There is a need for caregiver-initiated and -implemented non-pharmacological interventions directly to and for the person with dementia, including environmental assessment and modification, as first-line treatments for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in persons living with dementia (PLWD). Delivered via telehealth, Harmony at HOME (H@H) aims to train caregivers of persons with moderate to severe ADRD in the skills of assessing and modifying the home environment to promote "person-environment fit," a concept that posits that the ability to access features within a built environment (e.g. bathroom, stairs,) or that factors within the environment itself (lighting, noise level, temperature), especially when linked with individualized social support, contribute to or even shape behavior. In addition to the intervention, the first 10 caregiver participants to enroll will also be invited to participate in two focus groups that will be facilitated during and after the intervention. The first focus group focuses on experiences as a dementia caregiver in rural areas. The second focus group focuses on providing feedback regarding caregivers' perceptions, acceptability, and usefulness of the H@H intervention. These focus groups will be conducted as structured interviews with open-ended questions that encourage participants to share their experiences.