A Positive Health Approach to Older People with Memory Problems and Their Family Caregivers
Dr. Yvonne
Yueh-Feng
Lu
Associate
Professor
School
of
Nursing
Indiana
University
For over 10 years, I have developed and led a program of research focused on positive health, strength-based and family-center interventions, specially promoting engagement activities, functional performance, and quality life in older adults with cognitive impairment and their family caregivers. I have extensive training in behavioral intervention research for persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their family caregivers through a postdoctoral fellowship and a research career development award. I am also co-faculty of NIH, NIA, Indiana University Alzheimer Disease Center, Outreach Recruitment and Education Core.
I developed a research program using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to address the needs of persons who have MCI and their family caregivers. I developed and have pilot tested the Daily Engagement in Meaningful Activity (DEMA) intervention for MCI patients and their family caregivers and am ready for a full scale test of this innovative, theoretically-based, dyad-tailored, supportive intervention. DEMA aims to address the glaring absence of empirically validated interventions targeted to patients with MCI and their caregivers to improve engagement in activities, slow declines in functional performance, improve depressive symptoms, and reduce caregiver burden.
Keywords: caregivers, aptitude, cognitive dysfunction, nurse clinicians, social welfare, dementia
Registration is required, Coffee and Timbits will be available at the event.