Frederick County residents with dementia and their caregivers eligible for three-year Johns Hopkins study

Dec. 24—Frederick County residents are eligible to participate in a three-year study conducted by Johns Hopkins University that will examine how providing companionship and personalized activities to people living at home with dementia affects the person with dementia, their family caregiver and their volunteer companion guide.

The Greater Maryland chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is partnering with Johns Hopkins to manage and train those who volunteer as companion guides for the study, according to a news release from the Alzheimer's Association. These volunteers must be healthy and 55 years or older, according to the release.

Research shows that social interaction is needed to support cognitive health, Ilene Rosenthal, program director for the Alzheimer's Association Greater Maryland Chapter said in the release. Recruiting people from this demographic — who may see their social circles shrinking as they age and retire — "can provide self-affirming validation that they can still contribute," Rosenthal said.

Companion guides will receive training to provide regular, one-on-one emotional companionship to the person living at home with dementia. All interactions between the two parties will take place virtually through Uniper Care, an interactive, television-based program that hosts live and recorded activities for older adults.

The purpose of the study is to test a new way of helping people with dementia stay connected and engaged, while also providing meaningful volunteering opportunities to people in the community and supporting the health and well-being of family caregivers, said Dr. Quincy Samus, trial principal investigator.

"Companionship and social engagement are important for all of us, and this is especially true as we get older," Samus said in the release. "The global COVID-19 pandemic has certainly exposed the negative impacts of social isolation, and the MEMORI Corps [Making Engagement Meaningful through Organized Routine Interaction] research trial addresses this very issue."

Also eligible are people living in Baltimore City or the following counties: Allegany, Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester.

Companion guide benefits include:

— Free virtual assessments of health and well-being

— Up to $2,400 over a 12-month period for serving as a companion guide

— Gift cards valued up to $60 for completing three study assessment visits

— Free 12-month subscription to Uniper Care

— Training, support and education on activities, health, well-being and healthy brain aging

Benefits for people living at home with diagnosed dementia and their in-home caregiver include:

— Free virtual assessments of health and well-being

— Free six-month subscription to Uniper Care

— Up to $140 in gift cards per participating for completing up to seven study assessments

There is no cost to participate, according to the release. To learn more, call (410) 550-6744 or email memoricorps@jhmi.edu.

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