Xiaoling Xiang received a grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation to develop and evaluate a personal care aide-supported, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program for at-home seniors. At-home seniors represent a unique population of older adults with complex medical, psychiatric, and social care needs. Unmet mental health needs are a particularly salient concern. However, at-home seniors often experience barriers accessing needed mental health services due to transportation barriers, cost, and stigma. In this one-year pilot project, Dr. Xiang, along with TIDL members Katie Check and Fonda Smith, will test a new way of delivering mental health services in a non-traditional setting that is accessible to at-home seniors and potentially cost-effective. This project will harness the power of personal care aides, caregivers who provide personal care and companionship to many at-home seniors, by providing training and empowering them to facilitate the completion of a psychotherapy program among at-home seniors. The research team will work closely with Homewatch Caregivers of Ann Arbor, a non-medical home care provider, to implement this program and test its impact on the well-being of both at-home seniors and personal care aides.
Xiaoling Xiang receices grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation to develop internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program for at-home seniors
