SAFE at Home: A Service to Provide Social Engagement to Community-Dwelling Persons With Dementia

March 3, 2025 updated by: Hopeful Aging
The proposed Phase 1 study will involve initial development and evaluation of a new service called Social Activities For Engagement at Home or SAFE at Home (SaH). SaH will enable PWD to participate in videoconference-based group activities with their peers-i.e., other PWD. SaH sessions will be facilitated by highly trained "Engagement Professionals," who will be SaH staff members that have a background in recreation therapy, activity coordination, or a similar field. The proposed study has three Specific Aims: Aim 1. Develop an Alpha version of the SaH app, including app infrastructure and preliminary activity content for live group sessions, as well as staff training and coaching modules. Aim 2. Examine the app's acceptability/feasibility (by assessing attendance, session length, and engagement/affect). Aim 3. Examine satisfaction with the app by directly eliciting feedback from PWD and life enrichment staff.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Aim 1. Develop an Alpha version of the SAFE at Home app, including app infrastructure and preliminary activity content for live group sessions, as well as staff training and coaching modules. During Months 1-6, the Development Team (DT) will create the initial product design and prototype for use in the study. The study team will engage 5 PWD, 5 family members, and 5 activity professionals in focus groups to review the mockups and to understand end user preferences in terms of user experience and activity content. This will be the only involvement for these participants. New participants will be recruited for the quasi-experiment (described below). Aim 2. Examine the app's acceptability/feasibility (by assessing attendance, session length, and engagement/affect) During Months 5-10, the Experimental Team (ET) will utilize a quasi-experimental pre-post design (i.e., baseline vs. treatment / post-treatment) to conduct a two-month long acceptability and feasibility trial of SaH. During this trial 15 PWD, 15 Family Members, and 5 Life Enrichment professionals will use the product to determine functionality, acceptability, and feasibility. Baseline and Onboarding (Month 7). PWD: During the 4-week baseline period, the ET will collect the following data. PWD Demographics, medications, diagnoses, and type of dementia will be collected via proxy (family member) interview. The following assessments will be administered directly: the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ-T), the Dementia Quality of Life Scale (DEMQOL), the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS). Researchers will interview family members (FMs) using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home (NPI-NH). Using the Menorah Park Engagement Scale. researchers will observe PWD engagement and affect via videoconference on four days. This will allow us to determine "normal/baseline" engagement levels for each PWD and serve as a comparison for SaH. At the conclusion of the Baseline data collection, the ET will use the Get to Know You Portal with each PWD to determine their Cognitive and Communication levels as well as their interests. For the purposes of testing the feasibility of the SaH intervention, all group assignments will be made solely through the use of SaH tools. Staff Demographics will be collected. Staff will also take pre-training quizzes prior to taking the training modules. Family Members (FMs) will provide demographic information and serve as proxies for the above PWD measures. Intervention Period (Months 8-9). PWD: During the 8-week intervention period, PWD will participate in SaH sessions through the Social Engagement Portal. Sessions will occur twice per week and last 30-45 minutes. Staff: Staff will take the training modules developed in Aim 1 and will also run a simulated group and provide feedback. FMs will be involved simply by helping set up the hardware and helping their loved one with technical issues as needed (e.g., reconnecting to the videoconference if the connection is lost). Post Intervention Period (Month 10). PWD: The DEMQOL, GDS-SF, ULS, and NPI-NH will be re-administered at Post-Intervention, allowing us to investigate possible long-term effects. Changes on these longer-term measures are not expected in this Phase 1 study. However, data will be used to conduct power analyses for Phase 2. Staff: Staff will take post-training quizzes after completing the training modules. FMs will serve as proxies for some of the above measures. Milestones. This Aim will be considered successfully met if: (1) At least 85% of PWD agree to take part in 80% of the sessions. (2) Mean session length is least 25 minutes. (3) PWD exhibit higher levels of positive engagement/affect and lower levels of negative engagement during SaH sessions, as compared to baseline (based upon the MPES). This will be assessed by using paired samples t-tests. With the proposed sample, there will be a power of 99% to detect effects. A detailed power analysis is included in Clinical Trials-Statistical Design and Power. (4) Staff show an increase in knowledge after taking the training modules, based upon paired samples t-tests (pre-training quizzes vs. post-training quizzes). Aim 3. Examine satisfaction with the app by directly eliciting feedback from PWD and life enrichment staff. Overview: This Aim occurs concurrently with the Intervention Period for Aim 2 and utilizes the same sample and procedures-it merely tracks separate outcomes. Intervention Period (Months 8-9). PWD: During the intervention period, PWD will answer questions related to satisfaction at the end of each session. Staff: Staff will answer satisfaction questions related to the course and to the app (after the run a simulated group). FMs will answer satisfaction questions at the end of the study. Challenges. Since this aim occurs concurrently with Aim 2, no distinct challenges related solely to Aim 3 are expected. Milestones: This Aim will be considered successfully met if PWD, staff members, and FMs report high satisfaction with the app, defined as 85% being satisfied or very satisfied.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Winchester, Massachusetts, United States, 01890
        • Hopeful Aging

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

PWD Inclusion Criteria:

  • 65+ years old
  • speak and read conversational English
  • diagnosed with dementia (any type)

PWD Exclusion Criteria:

-signs of rapid cognitive decline or physical deterioration over the last six months, as evidenced by medical records.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Treatment
SAFE at Home Intervention
Behavioral: SAFE at Home
SAFE at Home will enable community-dwelling PWD to participate in videoconference-based group activities with their peers, that is, other PWD. SaH sessions will be facilitated by highly trained Engagement Professionals.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Constructive Engagement Mean on Menorah Park Engagement Scale
Time Frame: Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Constructive Engagement on the Menorah Park Engagement Scale (MPES) is defined as doing or commenting on something related to the target activity. For each participant, multiple BRAIN activities were observed during weeks 5-10. Based upon all of these observations that occured during this time period, a single mean score was calculated for each participant on this MPES item. The minimum value for Constructive Engagement is zero (0) and the maximum score is two (2). Higher scores represent a better outcome. A one-sample t-test was used to assess whether the mean was different from a known Constructive Engagement mean of 0.85 for standard programming.
Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Passive Engagement Mean on Menorah Park Engagement Scale
Time Frame: Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Passive Engagement on the Menorah Park Engagement Scale is defined as listening or watching something related to the target activity. For each participant, multiple BRAIN activities were observed during weeks 5-10. Based upon all of these observations that occured during this time period, a single mean score was calculated for each participant on this MPES item. The minimum value for Passive Engagement is zero (0) and the maximum score is two (2). Higher scores represent a better outcome. A one-sample t-test was used to assess whether the mean was different from a known Passive Engagement mean of 1.06 for standard programming.
Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Other Engagement Mean on Menorah Park Engagement Scale
Time Frame: Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Other Engagement on the Menorah Park Engagement Scale is defined as doing, commenting, listening, or watching something NOT related to the target activity. For each participant, multiple BRAIN activities were observed during weeks 5-10. Based upon all of these observations that occured during this time period, a single mean score was calculated for each participant on this MPES item. The minimum value for Other Engagement is zero (0) and the maximum score is two (2). Lower scores represent a better outcome. A one-sample t-test was used to assess whether the mean was different from a known Other Engagement mean of 0.42 for standard programming.
Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Non Engagement Mean on Menorah Park Engagement Scale
Time Frame: Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Non-Engagement on the Menorah Park Engagement Scale is defined as sleeping and/or staring into space. For each participant, multiple BRAIN activities were observed during weeks 5-10. Based upon all of these observations that occured during this time period, a single mean score was calculated for each participant on this MPES item. The minimum value for Non Engagement is zero (0) and the maximum score is two (2). Lower scores represent a better outcome. A one-sample t-test was used to assess whether the mean was different from a known Non Engagement mean of 0.40 for standard programming.
Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Pleasure Mean on Menorah Park Engagement Scale
Time Frame: Treatment (Weeks 5-10)
Pleasure on the Menorah Park Engagement Scale is defined as clearly observable laughing or smiling.For each participant, multiple BRAIN activities were observed during weeks 5-10. Based upon all of these observations that occured during this time period, a single mean score was calculated for each participant on this MPES item. The minimum value for Non Engagement is zero (0) and the maximum score is two (2). Lower scores represent a better outcome. A one-sample t-test was used to assess whether the mean was different from a known Non Engagement mean of 0.28 for standard programming.
Treatment (Weeks 5-10)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline to Treatment on Dementia Related Quality of Life (DEMQOL)
Time Frame: Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
The Dementia Related Quality of Life Scale is a 28 item scale that examines quality of life in persons with dementia. The score ranges for 28 to 112. Higher scores represent a better outcome.
Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
Change From Baseline to Treatment on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home (NPI-NH), Frequency x Severity Score (FxS)
Time Frame: Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
The NPI-NH examines 10 types of neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons with dementia, with the FxS score looking creating a composite score that takes into account frequency and severity of the symtoms. The score ranges from 0 to 120. Lower scores represent a better outcome.
Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
Change From Baseline to Treatment on the University of California, Los Angels (UCLA) Loneliness Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a widely used psychological tool designed to measure an individual's subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The 20-item version consists of statements related to social connections, with responses typically rated on a four-point Likert scale (e.g., "Never," "Rarely," "Sometimes," "Often"). Scoring involves summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater levels of loneliness. The range of total possible score is 20 (least amount of loneliness) to 80 (most amount of loneliness).
Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
Change From Baseline to Treatment on the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF)
Time Frame: Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)
The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-SF) is a screening tool used to assess depressive symptoms in older adults. Each item is answered with a "Yes" or "No"** response, with a total score ranging from 0 to 15, where higher scores indicate greater depressive symptoms. A score of 5 or more** suggests possible depression, warranting further clinical evaluation.
Baseline (Weeks 1-4) and Post-Treatment (Week 11)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Hopeful Aging

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Michael Skrajner, MA, The Hearthstone Institute

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 19, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 10, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 10, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 23, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 25, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 3, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • R43AG075974 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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