Fostering Caregiver Connections via Intentional Technology Pairing for Caregivers of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Types of Dementia

Project Summary/Abstract Minnesota HealthSolutions Corporation proposes to collaborate with the Mayo Clinic to develop a unique matching service for caregivers of persons living with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body dementia and Frontotemporal degeneration. Caregiving for persons with dementia is demanding and research has shown that it negatively effects the physical and mental health of caregivers. There are currently limited resources available for caregivers of persons with dementia, mostly limited to online resources and group support. Research from behavioral health has demonstrated that peer to peer support is effective and leads to improved quality of life, more engagement with services, improved health, and reduced hospitalizations. Minnesota HealthSolutions will collaborate with researchers from the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to develop a unique program for matching caregivers of persons with dementia to provide support to each other.