Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Currently I am researching how non-traditional methods to deliver information and to provide services to distressed persons and families can be used effectively, AND, how these non-traditional methods vary by culture and other dimensions of diversity.
Specifically, I have 5 current projects that embody these concepts:
1) PRISM: this project is an innovative collaboration among academic institutions (Harvard, Stanford, Univ. of South Carolina), government entities in Thailand and Shanghai, China, and health care providers in those countries. The goal is to develop culturally appropriate intervention programs for carers of persons with neurocognitive disorders and to implement them effectively. This 5 year project began Jan. 2018 and is currently enrolling participants.
2) CARE: Collaborative Approach for Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Research & Education. This 3 year project will establish a research registry of AA/PI interested in dementia- related research by studying effective "messages" & outreach methods. Since less than 1% of AA/PI are currently represented in this kind of research this registry is sorely needed. CARE members include a host of community agencies representing various AA/PI sub-groups, as well as UCSF, UC Irvine, USC,& UC Davis.
3) iSupport: This recently completed project, funded by WHO and the Alzheimer's Assn, developed a web-based psychoeducational program for dementia family caregivers & conducted a pilot study in India. I am now working with a team based at NYU to develop a US version of iSupport.
4) Rural Dementia Care Project: This research provides an on-line caregiver psychoeducational workshop to rural caregivers in multiple states in the US. Its goal is to reach out to this underserved group & to evaluate how effective this kind of program is to reduce distress and improve quality of life. UCSF is the lead institution.
5) MIRELA is a recently completed project that developed and tested a webnovela, entirely in Spanish, that follows the trajectory of an elder Latina as she declines over time from Alzheimer's disease. It depicts (in novel soap opera format) what the challenges are and how this multi-generational family responds to them, The RCT clearly showed that MIRELA was superior to the control condition in reducing depression and improving coping skills in caregivers.
Finally: A revised and updated version of my original "Coping with Caregiving" evidence-based program for dementia family caregivers was completed. It emphasizes positive psychology by incorporation gratitude, forgiveness, & hope. ACES: Active Caregiving: Empowerment Skills is offered free of charge through Aging Adult Services and the Neuroscience Supportive Care Program at Stanford University School of Medicine. .
