The Olera.care Digital Caregiving Assistance Platform for Dementia Caregivers: Preliminary Evaluation Study (Preprint) Institutional Repository Document

The increasing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimers-related dementia (ADRD) in the United States has amplified the healthcare burden and caregiving challenges, especially for caregivers of people living with dementia (PLwD). A web-based care planning tool, Olera.care, was developed to aid caregivers in managing common challenges associated with dementia care.

This study aims to preliminarily evaluate the quality and usability of the Olera.care platform, and to assess the preferences of using the technology and interests in learning elder care services among caregivers.

Participants were engaged in two rounds of interviews to understand caregiving needs, engage with the platform, and complete the modified Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) via a Qualtrics online survey. The survey also included the sociodemographic characteristics, caregiving experiences, communication preferences in technology adoption, and elder care service utilization and interests. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the quality and usability of the platform and characteristics of the participants. Two-sample t-tests were conducted to examine the differences in the major MARS evaluation scores by caregiver characteristics.

A total of 30 adult caregivers in Texas completed the evaluation, with majority over 50 years old, female, White, financially stable, primary caregivers, with an average of 5.45 years of caregiving experience. The Olera.care platform evaluation showed high satisfaction, with a rating of 4.57 out of 5, and scored well (ranging from 4.10 to 4.76) in engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information quality consistently across all caregiver groups. A statistically significant difference (P=0.021) was observed in functionality evaluation scores by duration of caregiving, with caregivers dedicating more hours to care rating it higher than those providing less care (4.6 vs 4.2). Additionally, caregivers with less caregiving experience reported significantly higher evaluation scores (Ps<0.05) for aesthetics (4.7 vs 4.3) and information (4.8 vs 4.6) compared to those with longer years of caregiving. All participants expressed a willingness to recommend the app to those who may benefit from it, and 90.0% rated the app overall positively. Most participants favored anonymous interactions prior to getting personalized feedback and showed a preference for using computer browsers rather than mobile apps. Medical home health services were the most utilized, with a diverse range of services being used. Caregiver support groups, medical providers, memory care, meal services, and adult day care were among the most desired services for future exploration.

The Olera.care is a practical, interactive, easy to use, visually appealing, and informative tool for dementia caregivers. Future development and research are essential to enhance the platform and comprehensively evaluate the platform among a broader population.