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Creating harmony at home via environmental cueing: A feasibility trial of a non‐pharmacological intervention for rural caregivers of persons with dementia
Elizabeth K. Rhodus, Richard Kryscio, Gregory A. Jicha, Carolyn Manville Baum, Laura Henley, Vickie Fairchild, Celeste Roberts, Allison Gibson. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Twenty-eight caregivers completed the intervention, which increased caregiver mastery and decreased stress and burden. There were statistically significant improvements in functional performance of the person living with dementia (p < 0.005) and caregivers' satisfaction with the person living with dementia's functional performance (p < 0.001). The intervention increased caregivers' skills and knowledge in assessing and modifying the environment to address BPSDs. Although overall caregiver mastery was not changed significantly, additional clinical research assessing caregiver mastery in relation to specific caregiving tasks within the home environment is needed. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05202223 HIGHLIGHTS: Aging in place is difficult to achieve for individuals with dementia. A novel dyadic care intervention, Harmony at HOME, improved caregiver outcomes. Future care research should explore performance-based patient outcomes.
Key findings
- Twenty-eight caregivers completed the intervention, which increased caregiver mastery and decreased stress and burden.
- There were statistically significant improvements in functional performance of the person living with dementia (p < 0.005) and caregivers' satisfaction with the person living with dementia's functional performance (p < 0.001).
- The intervention increased caregivers' skills and knowledge in assessing and modifying the environment to address BPSDs.
- Although overall caregiver mastery was not changed significantly, additional clinical research assessing caregiver mastery in relation to specific caregiving tasks within the home environment is needed.
- CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05202223 HIGHLIGHTS: Aging in place is difficult to achieve for individuals with dementia.
Why it matters
This feasibility trial found that an environmental cueing intervention for rural caregivers of persons with dementia improved caregiver mastery, decreased stress and burden, and improved functional performance of the person with dementia. It is a small open-label trial and did not test whether the intervention prevents or cures Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designopen-label trial
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “open-label trial”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Allison Gibson: h-index 18 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Washington University in St. Louis: institution h-index 1,962 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40621818) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rhodus, E. K., Kryscio, R., Jicha, G. A., Baum, C. M., Henley, L., Fairchild, V., et al. (2025). Creating harmony at home via environmental cueing: A feasibility trial of a non‐pharmacological intervention for rural caregivers of persons with dementia. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70405
Vancouver
Rhodus EK, Kryscio R, Jicha GA, Baum CM, Henley L, Fairchild V, et al. Creating harmony at home via environmental cueing: A feasibility trial of a non‐pharmacological intervention for rural caregivers of persons with dementia. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70405. PMID: 40621818.
BibTeX
@article{rhodus2025-40621818,
author = {Rhodus, Elizabeth K. and Kryscio, Richard and Jicha, Gregory A. and Baum, Carolyn Manville and Henley, Laura and Fairchild, Vickie and Roberts, Celeste and Gibson, Allison},
title = {{Creating harmony at home via environmental cueing: A feasibility trial of a non‐pharmacological intervention for rural caregivers of persons with dementia}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70405},
pmid = {40621818},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70405}
}
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