Griffiths and Hepburn awarded NIH funding

Congratulations to Patricia Griffiths, PhD and Kenneth Hepburn, PhD who have been awarded funding from the National Institutes of Health to test Tele-Savvy, an on-line psychoeducational program for informal Alzheimer’s caregivers. This trial, built on the evidence-based platform of the Savvy Caregiver Program, provides a virtual education and support program to family members who are caring for Alzheimer’s patients at home. The caregivers provide sustained and sophisticated care that, were it not in the hands of laypersons, would require the skills of nurses, occupational therapists, social workers and other professionals. The goal is to reduce caregiver stress, improve the quality of life for both patients with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, and enhance caregiver mastery and self-management behaviors. The trial also seeks to examine and refine the program’s efficacy across three racial/ethnic groups (African Americans, Caucasians, and Latino/Hispanics).

Learn more about Dr. Griffiths’ work with caregivers in article “Self-care is the caregivers most critical task“.

Related Links

• Emory Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics
• Emory University Department of Medicine
• Age (not-old) Advice – A mentoring program at Emory pairs seniors in the community with medical and nursing students to share lessons in aging
• VIDEO: Emory Center for Health in Aging

If you are interested in investing in research, clinical care, and/or education within the Emory University School of Medicine’s Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics, learn how you can help.