PROJECT SUMMARY
In the United States, nearly 8 million older adults rely on family and other unpaid caregivers (neighbors;
friends) for assistance with their health care. These caregivers collectively provide 75-80% of the total care
hours to community-dwelling older persons and fill multiple gaps in the health care system: attending doctor's
visits, coordinating care, and assisting with treatment regimens. The availability and adequacy of assistance
provided by family and unpaid caregivers has direct implications for health care costs and quality of care of
older adults. Yet, caregivers are not systematically identified in health care delivery systems, and their abilities
and needs are not routinely assessed. Primary
addressing
stress
care practices are well positioned to aid in identifying and
the needs of at-risk family caregivers – in particular, persons who suffer from caregiving-related
or have unmet needs for training or support – through systematic screening and referral.The goal of this
project is to develop, implement, and pilot test a screening-referral system for family caregivers who
accompany older adults to their primary care visits, with explicit consideration of the distinct needs of dementia
and non-dementia caregivers. Aim 1 conducted the first ever nationwide survey of caregiver screening
practices among US providers (physicians, nurses, social workers, physician assistants) working in primary
care. Aims 2-4 are leveraging partnerships with three primary care practices serving diverse patient
populations to engage key stakeholders (caregivers, patients, and health care professionals) in developing,
refining, and pilot testing the screening-referral protocol. Catherine Riffin, PhD is ideally situated to spearhead
this line of research given her academic background in applied gerontology, and productive track-record of
research on family relationships and health. Her long-term goal is to lead a program of social scientific
research that designs, evaluates and disseminates evidence-based interventions for family caregivers in real-
world contexts. To achieve this goal, Dr. Riffin is pursuing additional training and mentorship in four key areas:
implementation science, healthcare policymaking, intervention research, and independent grant writing and
professional development. Career development activities involve formal coursework, applied learning and
research opportunities, and ongoing mentorship from leading experts in the fields of family caregiving, health
services research, and applied research methods. Dr. Riffin has assembled a strong, multidisciplinary team of
mentors and advisors with expertise in family caregiving, clinical trial design, healthcare policy, and
implementation science, and with extensive experience in mentoring junior researchers to independence.
Overall, the award is providing Dr. Riffin with the intensive training, research experience, and mentorship
needed to launch her career as a successful independent investigator.