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IMAGE: Researchers from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University and University of Wisconsin are creating, with caregivers as co-designers, Helping the Helpers, an application (app) to support informal caregivers (often family or friends)...
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Credit: Regenstrief Institute
INDIANAPOLIS -- Most of the six million people in the U.S. who live with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias rely on informal caregivers, usually family or friends, to help manage their medications. Researchers from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University and University of Wisconsin have received a grant to create an application to support those caregivers.
"Caregivers are often under-trained, under-resourced, and under-supported to perform medication management. It can lead to significant burden, stress and even inappropriate medication use," said Richard Holden, PhD, a co-leader of the project. "To this point, technology has not been leveraged to help this population. Using participatory user-centered design, we plan to create an application that makes this potentially complex undertaking a little easier for them and leads to better medication adherence and safety." Dr. Holden is a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute and a professor and chair of health and wellness design at IU School of Public Health-Bloomington.