Effectiveness of the Care of Persons With Dementia in Their Environments Intervention When Embedded in a Publicly Funded Home- and Community-Based Service Program

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the absence of effective pharmacotherapy, there is an urgent need to test evidence-based dementia care interventions using pragmatic trial approaches. We present results from a study in which an evidence-based, nonpharmacologic intervention for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) and their informal caregivers, Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments (COPE), was tested in a Medicaid and state revenue-funded home and community-based service (HCBS) program. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using pragmatic trial design strategies, persons living with ADRD and their caregivers were randomly assigned as dyads to receive COPE plus usual HCBS (COPE; n = 145 dyads) or usual HCBS only (Usual Care or UC; n = 146 dyads). Outcomes were measured prerandomization, and 4 and 12 months postrandomization. Outcomes for persons living with ADRD included functional independence, activity engagement, self-reported quality of life, and behavioral and psychological symptoms. Caregiver outcomes included perceived well-being, confidence using dementia management strategies, and degree of distress caused by behavioral and psychological symptoms. RESULTS: After 4 months, caregivers receiving COPE reported greater perceived well-being (least squares mean = 3.2; 95% CI: 3.1–3.3) than caregivers receiving UC (3.0; 2.9–3.0; p < .001), and persons living with ADRD receiving COPE, compared to those receiving UC, showed a strong trend toward experiencing less frequent and less severe behavioral and psychological symptoms (9.7; 5.2–14.2 vs 12.7; 8.3–17.1; p = .07). After 12 months, persons living with ADRD receiving COPE were more engaged in meaningful activities (2.1; 2.0–2.1 vs 1.9; 1.9–2.0; p = .02) than those receiving UC. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Embedding COPE in a publicly funded HCBS program yielded positive immediate effects on caregivers’ well-being, marginal positive immediate effects on behavioral and psychological symptoms, and long-term effects on meaningful activity engagement among persons living with ADRD. Findings suggest that COPE can be effectively integrated into this service system, an important step towards widespread adoption. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02365051.