2023 Alzheimer's Association Research Grant (AARG)
Black Caregivers' Daily Experiences and Sleep in Dementia Care Dyads
How do the daily experiences of people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias and their caregivers shape their respective well-being?
Courtney Allyn Polenick, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI - United States
Background
According to the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association Facts & Figures Report, Black adults are disproportionately more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementias (ADRD) compared to white adults. However, not much is known about the daily experiences that shape the well-being of Black caregivers and their care recipients, including how sleep is affected by stress.
In initial studies, Dr. Courtney Polenick and colleagues used surveys as well as smartwatches that track activity and sleep and found a connection between daily stress and well-being between individuals living with ADRD and their spouses. Additionally, using data from the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), Dr. Polenick found that caregivers with a sense of greater purpose reported greater caregiving gains.
Research Plan
Dr. Courtney Allen and colleagues will study the daily experiences of 50 pairs of individuals with ADRD and their caregivers. The caregivers in the pairs must be living with and caring for an individual with a diagnosis or symptoms of Alzheimer’s and must identify as Black. Through initial interviews, daily smartphone surveys, wristwatch activity trackers, and follow-up phone interviews, the research team will determine types of daily perceived stress and positive experiences reported by Black caregivers that can directly predict daily sleep among individuals with ADRD and their caregivers. Additionally, they plan to identify social experiences reported by Black caregivers that impact stress and positive experiences, and whether they are related to sleep within the pairs.
Impact
Results from this study will shed new light on the daily experiences of individuals living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers in U.S. Black communities. They may also learn novel strategies to reduce health disparities in Alzheimer’s care.