Adapting evidence-based treatment for geriatric hoarding during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from two demographically and geographically diverse treatment studies

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated that human subjects’ research either ceased, moved online, or incorporated an unprecedented level of safety precautions. This was a particular challenge for researchers conducting treatment studies with older adults with hoarding disorder, a psychiatric condition characterized by difficulties within the home environment itself that intensify barriers to successful aging. The purpose of this symposium is to present the protocols developed by two research teams studying treatment for geriatric hoarding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will highlight the interaction of demographic and geographic variables that guided the different responses of the two teams and discuss the risks and benefits of each approach within their distinct cultural contexts. Eliza Davidson, M.S., will present data from a clinical trial conducted in southern California that adapted their protocol to be delivered using telehealth, including adapted versions of a behavioral paradigm and neuropsychological testing, and later used a hybrid approach. Caitlyn Nix, B.A., will present data from a pilot study conducted in rural Mississippi that relied on a series of increased safety precautions, including mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for both study staff and participants, that both allowed home visits to continue and created additional barriers to recruitment and engagement. Catherine Ayers, Ph.D., will serve as the discussant for the symposium and integrate the findings of both research teams. Understanding the different challenges and successes of two teams’ approaches to seemingly the same problem – providing evidence-based treatment to older adults with hoarding disorder during a public health crisis – will facilitate pre-emptive planning for future human subjects’ studies across a range of demographic and geographic regions.