WeCareAdvisor Tool

Unmet Need
Systematic screening for behavioral symptoms in dementia is an important prevention strategy that facilitates early treatment of behavioral symptoms by identifying underlying causes and tailoring a treatment plan. If left untreated these behavioral symptoms can lead to the acceleration of the progression of the disease. First-line nonpharmacologic treatments are recommended because available pharmacologic treatments are only modestly effective, have notable risks, and do not effectively treat some of the behaviors that family members and caregivers find most distressing.
 
Technology Overview
WeCareAdvisor is a web-based program designed to help families and health professionals prevent and manage challenging behaviors in persons with dementia.  The tool includes two primary sections:  a Caregiver survival guide that contains helpful information about dementia and caregiving; the DICE (Describe, Investigate, Create, Evaluate) approach which takes users through a decision-making process to identify strategies tailored to specific behaviors and contexts for managing behaviors.
 
Stage of Development
Inventors have developed and deployed a web-based platform.
 
Publications
Kales et al. BMJ 2015
 
Kales et al. Journal of American Geriatrics Society 62(4)
 
Gitlin et al. JAMA 308(19)
 

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