The ADSPlus Study
Adult Day Service Centers Wanted!
We are currently seeking adult day service (ADS) centers to partner with us on an exciting new research study evaluating the ADSPlus model of care. Are you interested in building your capacity to provide comprehensive case management services to older adult clients with dementia and their family caregivers? If so, then participation in the ADSPlus study may be for you!
What is ADSPlus?
§ ADSPlus is a low-cost, innovative model of care that builds upon the services routinely offered in ADS to older adults diagnosed with dementia and their family caregivers.
§ ADSPlus offers case management services to participants and their families, including counseling, education, support, and referral. These services are provided by trained staff members, such as social workers and nurses.
§ The goal of ADSPlus is to improve family caregiver well-being, increase service utilization, and reduce costly nursing home placement.
§ In 2005, ADSPlus was implemented and evaluated in a pilot study.
§ We found ADSPlus to be effective in reducing depression and improving confidence in family caregivers, increasing rates of attendance by participants, and lower rates of nursing home placement.
§ We also found that ADSPlus was low-cost and easy to implement.
Purpose and Design of the ADSPlus Study
The purpose of this study is to expand our understanding of the effects of ADSPlus with older adults diagnosed with dementia and their family caregivers. To do so, we are conducting a randomized control trial. Here’s how it will work:
§ 40 to 60 ADS programs will be recruited to participate in the study.
§ ADS programs will be randomly assigned to a test group or a control group.
§ The researchers will then train staff members on the ADSPlus protocol.
§ The ADSPlus program will then be implemented over a 12-month period.
§ The researchers will then periodically measure outcomes for family caregivers and ADS participants.
Benefits of Participating in the ADSPlus Study
§ ADS programs will receive free training and support on ADSPlus.
§ ADS programs will be able to provide comprehensive (and more effective) services to participants diagnosed with dementia and family caregivers.
§ We will learn more about the capacity of adult day services to meet the needs of participants diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers.
There Are No Additional Costs to Participating in the ADSPlus Study!
§ The research team will pay for staff to participate in distance training sessions (over a 2-day period via web conferencing or video conferencing).
§ The research team will pay for staff time to deliver the ADSPlus program.
§ All survey and data will be collected by the ADSPlus research team.
§ We also hope to provide a honorarium to all programs to help support their efforts in recruiting clients for the ADSPlus project.
Who are the ADSPlus Study Researchers?
§ The research team consists of dedicated scholars from the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, The Ohio State University, and the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA).
What are the Next Steps?
§ We are seeking funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) for this study and want to include letters of support from ADS programs.
§ (please see sample letter and center(s) information sheet on next page).
§ The review and award process at the NIA is very competitive and lengthy. We plan on submitting the grant proposal by June 5th, 2014.
§ The projected start date for the project is in the summer or fall of 2015.
§ If you are interested in participating, please provide us with a letter of support and a little information on your center(s) by April 15th, 2014
Please send your letters of support and center(s) information to:
Joseph E. Gaugler, PhD
School of Nursing
University of Minnesota
5-140 Weaver-Densford Hall
308 Harvard Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact us at: or at 612-626-2485
Sample Text for Letter of Interest
Please use the following text as a guide for your letter of support. Please print out the final draft on your letterhead. Thanks again for your support!
Date
Dear Dr. Gaugler,
I am excited to submit this letter of support for the ADSPlus project. We feel that ADSPlus can help to enhance evidence-based practice in adult day services. As a low-cost innovative model of care, ADSPlus builds upon the services routinely offered by our program. I understand that a small-scale pilot study found ADSPlus to be effective in reducing depression and improving confidence in family caregivers. ADSPlus was also related to higher attendance at ADS centers and lower rates of nursing home placement. I am excited to be a part of a larger effort to examine the impact of this innovative model of care.
Sincerely,
Center Information
Please provide us some general information about your center. If you operate more than one center, please complete a summary form for each center.
Name of Center:
Mailing Address:
Contact Name:
Email Address:
Phone Number:
1. What year did your center open?
2. What is the ownership structure of your center? (Please choose one)
□ Public/Government, Not-for-Profit □ Public/Government, For-Profit
□ Private, Not-for-Profit □ Private, For-Profit
□ Uncertain □ Other (please specify):
3. How would you describe the location of your center? (Please choose one)
□ Urban □Rural □Suburban
4. Is you center freestanding (not co-located with another service provider)? ____ (yes or no)
5. What is the maximum number of participantsor licensed daily capacity? ______
6. What is the average ageof your participants? ______
7. What percentage of your participants are in the following age groups?
_____% Under age 40 _____% Age 40-64 _____% Age 65 and older
8. What percentage of your participants are White, non-Hispanic? _____%
9. Approximately what percentage of your participants have a diagnosis of dementia? _____%
10. Approximately what percentage of your participants have symptoms of dementia? ______%
11. Do you have an existing staff member who could provide case management services as part of the program? _____ (yes or no)
12. If you answered yes, what is this person’s role and/or credentials, such as a nurse/RN or social worker/MSW? ______