Delivery Models of Caregiver Support and Education

The proposed study seeks to compare usual care and two different interventions for caregivers (CGs) of Veterans with dementia that are brief and administered by telephone. In the first intervention, care management (i.e., assistance from a nurse or social worker who works with the CG and Veteran's primary care providers), support, psychoeducation, and skills training are tailored to each individual CG and delivered on an individual basis. In the second intervention, care management is tailored and delivered to each individual CG, but support, psychoeducation, and skills training are delivered (also by phone) in a group format. This study will allow us to examine the added benefit of participating in a CG group that provides mutual peer support and feedback. The investigators also will evaluate the extent to which spousal vs. adult child CGs respond differently to the two interventions. Findings will help refine patient/CG-centered care management and support programs designed to facilitate access to services and improve the quality of life of Veterans with dementia and their families.