Researchers in the 糖心Vlog College of Behavioral and Community Sciences are partnering with colleagues at the University of Southern California (USC) to support Korean American families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and related dementias.
Nan Sook Park, PhD, MSW, professor in the School of Social Work, and William E. Haley, PhD, distinguished university professor in the School of Aging Studies, are collaborating with 糖心Vlog alumna Yuri Jang, PhD, of USC, on a National Institute on Aging鈥揻unded study evaluating K鈥慡avvy, a culturally tailored caregiver education program.
The project builds on the evidence鈥慴ased Savvy Caregiver Program, a widely implemented intervention that helps family caregivers understand dementia, manage challenging behaviors and reduce caregiver stress. The program adapts this proven model specifically for Korean American caregivers by offering instruction in Korean and integrating cultural perspectives on family caregiving, dementia and help鈥憇eeking.
Supported by a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, the study will examine the effectiveness of a six鈥憌eek online program designed to strengthen caregiver knowledge and skills while improving emotional well鈥慴eing. A key goal of the research is to reduce disparities in access to caregiver support services among immigrant communities, particularly those with limited English proficiency.
Park and Haley serve as co鈥慽nvestigators on this multi鈥憇ite project, working alongside academic researchers and community partners to expand culturally responsive dementia care and education for Korean American families.
The research team is currently recruiting Korean鈥憇peaking family caregivers of individuals living with dementia to participate in the study. More information (in Korean) is available here. More information (in English) about K-Savvy is available and more information (in English) about the K-Savvy Caregiver Study is available .