Beaver Health

COMPASS: A FAMILY-CENTERED, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CONVERSATIONAL AI ASSISTANT TO SUPPORT ADRD CAREGIVERS AND FAMILY CARE NETWORKS IN REAL-TIME - PROJECT SUMMARY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA (PLWD) IN THE U.S. ARE CARED FOR AT HOME BY FAMILY OR FRIENDS WITHOUT FORMAL TRAINING. THE CHALLENGES OF PROVIDING ADRD CARE, DEALING WITH CHALLENGING ADRD BEHAVIORS, AND COORDINATING WITH THE FAMILY CARE NETWORK CAUSES SIGNIFICANT MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL BURDEN FOR CAREGIVERS, ESPECIALLY FOR MINORITIZED ADRD CAREGIVERS WHO FACE ADDITIONAL ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND CULTURAL BARRIERS IN ACCESSING SUPPORT. COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS ARE NOT SCALABLE FOR AFFORDABLE USE (I.E., REMOTE CARE WITH ADRD EXPERTS) OR LACK PERSONALIZATION AND CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS (I.E., MOBILE OR WEB -BASED CAREGIVER APPS WITH “GENERIC” INFORMATION). SUPPORT GROUPS POSE SCHEDULING, GEOGRAPHIC, AND STIGMA BARRIERS AND DO NOT OFFER REAL-TIME EXPERT FEEDBACK OR EVIDENCE-BASED SKILLS. WITHOUT 24/7 EXPERT SUPPORT, CAREGIVERS ARE LEFT TO SEARCH THROUGH THE INTERNET FOR “GENERIC” SOLUTIONS. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT UNMET NEED FOR CULTURALLY RELEVANT, ACCESSIBLE, AND SCALABLE PERSONALIZED ADRD CAREGIVING GUIDANCE AND COORDINATION SUPPORT TO ADDRESS THE REAL-TIME NEEDS OF DIVERSE ADRD CAREGIVERS, PLWD, AND FAMILIES. WE ARE DEVELOPING A FAMILY- CENTERED, CONVERSATIONAL AI ASSISTANT CALLED COMPASS TO SUPPORT ADRD CAREGIVERS IN REAL-TIME WITH 1) PERSONALIZED, CULTURALLY RELEVANT ADRD CAREGIVING GUIDANCE AND 2) ASSISTIVE COORDINATION WITHIN THEIR FAMILY CARE NETWORK. OUR NOVEL TECHNOLOGY LEVERAGES ADVANCES IN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AI TO UNDERSTAND DIVERSE CAREGIVER QUERIES AND PERSONALIZE RESPONSES AND DELIVERY TO EACH CAREGIVER AND PLWD’S PERSONAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT. A VIRTUAL AVATAR TAILORED TO THE CAREGIVER’S PREFERENCES WILL BE USED TO COMMUNICATE GUIDANCE IN AREAS CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING AND VALIDATED MULTICOMPONENT ADRD CARE INTERVENTIONS TO ASSIST WITH THE DAILY CHALLENGES OF ADRD CAREGIVING AND COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE FAMILY CARE NETWORK. WITH CAREGIVER APPROVAL, COMPASS CAN HELP SHARE ACTIONABLE INFORMATION TO FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE NETWORK. IN PHASE 1, OUR 12-MONTH GOALS ARE TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE OF COMPASS AND TEST ITS INITIAL USABILITY/FEASIBILITY FOR RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE AD/ADRD FAMILY CAREGIVERS. BY PROVIDING REAL-TIME SUPPORT AND BUILDING A CARE COMMUNITY, COMPASS ALIGNS WITH THE NIA’S GOALS TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND ADHERENCE TO EVIDENCE-BASED CAREGIVING SUPPORT WHILE REDUCING CAREGIVER BURDEN AND ENABLING EFFECTIVE CARE FOR THE PLWD.

A PERSONALIZED AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MINDFULNESS VIRTUAL COACH TO SUPPORT DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS - PROJECT SUMMARY IN 2022, AN ESTIMATED 11 MILLION AMERICAN FAMILY CAREGIVERS PROVIDED 18 BILLION HOURS OF UNPAID CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS (AD/ADRD). THESE CAREGIVERS EXPERIENCE TWICE THE EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND INCREASED RISK OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY COMPARED TO NON-AD/ADRD CAREGIVERS. AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE TO 13.8 MILLION BY 2060, THE STRAIN ON AD/ADRD FAMILY CAREGIVERS WILL BE FURTHER INTENSIFIED, ESPECIALLY FOR MINORITIZED CAREGIVERS WHO ARE AFFECTED DISPROPORTIONATELY AND FACE CULTURAL BARRIERS IN ACCESSING SUPPORT. MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS FOR AD/ADRD FAMILY CAREGIVERS. HOWEVER, CAREGIVER ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT, AND ADHERENCE ARE CHALLENGING DUE TO BARRIERS SUCH AS TIME, COST ($50-400/SESSION), LACK OF PRIVACY IN GROUP SESSIONS, AND CULTURAL STIGMA. EXISTING CAREGIVER HEALTH AND MINDFULNESS APPS HAVE LOW ADOPTION AND POOR USABILITY, WITH PASSIVE VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS THAT ARE NOT INTERACTIVE OR PERSONALIZED TO EACH CAREGIVER’S LIFE AND CULTURAL CONTEXT. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT UNMET NEED FOR EASILY ACCESSIBLE, PERSONALIZED, AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE DELIVERY OF MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE AD/ADRD FAMILY CAREGIVERS. TO ADDRESS THIS URGENT UNMET NEED, WE ARE DEVELOPING OASIS: A PERSONALIZED AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MINDFULNESS VIRTUAL COACHING PLATFORM TO REDUCE STRESS, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY FOR AD/ADRD CAREGIVERS. UNIQUE FROM EXISTING APPS WITH PRE-RECORDED CONTENT, OASIS LEVERAGES ADVANCES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ADAPT ITS MINDFULNESS DELIVERY TO EACH CAREGIVER’S REAL-TIME RESPONSES, CAREGIVING AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, AND PREFERENCES. IN EACH ON-DEMAND, 1:1 SESSION, AN AVATAR, TAILORED TO THE CAREGIVER’S PREFERENCES (E.G., RACE/ETHNICITY, GENDER, ACCENT/VOICE), IS USED TO GUIDE AND SUPPORT THE CAREGIVER THROUGH PERSONALIZED MINDFULNESS COACHING. TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT AND ADHERENCE, OASIS’ NLP SYSTEM PERSONALIZES THE AVATAR’S DIALOGUE BASED ON KEY ASPECTS OF THEIR CAREGIVING EXPERIENCE AND CULTURE (E.G., CHALLENGING AD/ADRD BEHAVIORS, FAVORITE FOODS FOR MINDFUL EATING ACTIVITY, CULTURAL VALUES SUCH AS FILIAL PIETY OR FAMILISM). IN PHASE 1, OUR 12-MONTH GOALS ARE TO DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE OF OASIS AND TEST ITS INITIAL USABILITY/FEASIBILITY FOR RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE AD/ADRD FAMILY CAREGIVERS. BY IMPROVING USABILITY AND PERSONALIZING INTERVENTION DELIVERY TO EACH CAREGIVER’S LIFE AND CULTURAL CONTEXT, OASIS DIRECTLY ADDRESSES BARRIERS IMPEDING MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH SUPPORT FOR AD/ADRD CAREGIVERS TO INCREASE HEALTH EQUITY BY OFFERING A PERSONALIZED, CULTURALLY RELEVANT, AND ACCESSIBLE SUPPORT SYSTEM TO THIS UNDERSERVED POPULATION.

DEVELOPING A PERSONALIZED AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE VIRTUAL COACH TO ENGAGE PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS IN COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES - PROJECT SUMMARY THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS (ADRD) IS ESTIMATED TO DOUBLE TO 13.8 MILLION PEOPLE BY 2050, WITH MINORITIZED INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED DISPROPORTIONATELY. COGNITIVE, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES CAN IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITION, AND BEHAVIORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA (BPSD), BUT ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT, AND ADHERENCE ARE CHALLENGING. ADRD SPECIALISTS ARE EXPENSIVE AND INACCESSIBLE FOR DAILY SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA (PL WD) FROM MINORITIZED BACKGROUNDS WHO CANNOT FIND CULTURALLY COMPETENT PROVIDERS. SUPPORT GROUPS DO NOT PROVIDE SCALABLE, INDIVIDUALIZED, EVIDENCE-BASED SKILLS OR DAILY GUIDANCE, AND CAREGIVERS ARE ALREADY OVERBURDENED ASSISTING WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT PLWD ARE NOT CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE OR SCALABLE FOR DAILY, AFFORDABLE USE. THERE IS AN INCREASINGLY UNMET NEED FOR CULTURALLY RELEVANT, ACCESSIBLE, AND SCALABLE ADRD CARE. WE ARE DEVELOPING A PERSONALIZED AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE VIRTUAL COACHING PLATFORM TO ENGAGE AND SUPPORT PLWD IN EVIDENCE-BASED COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO ENHANCE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. OUR NOVEL TECHNOLOGY LEVERAGES ADVANCES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING (NLP) TO FACILITATE ACTIVITIES FROM PEER-REVIEWED INTERVENTIONS AT LOWER COSTS. IN EACH SESSION, AN AVATAR IS USED TO GUIDE AND SUPPORT THE PLWD THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. TO ENGAGE PLWD, OUR NLP-BASED SYSTEM ADAPTS THE COACH’S DIALOGUE BASED ON INPUT SHARED BY THE PLWD AND THEIR FAMILY ON KEY ASPECTS OF THE PLWD'S LIFE HISTORY AND CULTURE (E.G., FAVORITE HOLIDAYS, MUSIC GENRES, FOODS). THE AVATAR COACH ALSO HAS CHARACTERISTICS TAILORED TO THE PLWD’S PREFERENCES (E.G., RACE/ETHNICITY, GENDER, AGE) AND OFFERS SOCIAL SUPPORT TO ENCOURAGE ADHERENCE WITH CHECK-INS, PRAISE, AND MOTIVATIONAL WORDS. OUR USER INTERFACE IS DESIGNED FOR PLWD TO EASILY SPEAK TO AND SEE THEIR PERSONAL VIRTUAL COACH ON A LARGE-SCREEN DEVICE WITH A MICROPHONE AND CAMERA (E.G., IPAD, COMPUTER). IN PHASE 1, WE WILL DEVELOP A PERSONALIZED AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE VIRTUAL COACH PROTOTYPE THAT DELIVERS EVIDENCE-BASED COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND TEST INITIAL USABILITY/FEASIBILITY FOR RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE PERSONS WITH MILD ADRD AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. BY DIGITIZING ACTIVITIES AND INCREASING PERSONAL AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE, THE COACHING PLATFORM WILL SUPPORT PLWD AND THEIR CAREGIVERS BY IMPROVING ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT, AND ADHERENCE TO EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS TO ENHANCE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.