Funding Opportunity

This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) highlights priority areas of dementia care partner/caregiver research other than intervention development. Alzheimer’s disease directly affects more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 and older. The number of persons living with AD/ADRD is expected to increase significantly, given projected growth in the aging population, unless this disease can be effectively treated or prevented. The extensive care needs of individuals with AD/ADRD are highly variable and care typically involves great demands on spouses, family members (of origin or choice), and other care partners/caregivers. Care partners/caregivers may experience adverse health consequences (e.g., disrupted sleep, anxiety, depression, and compromised immune function) and economic hardship as a result of lost work and care expenditures. The challenges of caregiving may lead to institutional (e.g., nursing home) placement for persons with AD/ADRD instead of community-based and in-home care. Families that either partially or fully rely on unpaid support for care face significant out-of-pocket expenses. Access to high quality paid services and support, the level of care partner/caregiver engagement, and the quality of interactions with health care service providers can affect the health and well-being of both the care partner(s)/caregiver(s) and the person living with AD/ADRD.

This NOSI encourages behavioral and social research on care partners/caregivers for individuals with AD/ADRD. Care and care partner/caregiver support research can include multiple settings such as the home, community, or any formal care or clinical setting and address the individual, family, dyad, group, community, or health systems level. Applicants should specify the disease stage(s) and the population and setting/context under investigation.