N/A
Completed N=173
MEMORI Corps: Activity-based Companion Care for Dementia
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03896711 ↗Enrolled (actual)
173
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Jan 2026
Primary outcomePrimary: Change in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms as Assessed by Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Score — 3.35; 0.47 score on a scale
Summary
This project adapts a novel activity-based companion care model, the Making Engagement Meaningful through Organized Routine Interaction (MEMORI) Corps intervention, for a virtual delivery format, and then implements the intervention in a pilot, two-arm, randomized controlled trial to evaluate intervention acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy versus an augmented waitlist control. MEMORI Corps is a companion care model that provides regular companionship and personalized activities to community-living persons with dementia (PWD) delivered by trained volunteer Companion Guides 55 years of age or older. Program goals are to reduce social isolation and improve health and well-being for PWD, reduce burden and provide support to family CGs, as well as provide health benefits and opportunities for meaningful engagement for older volunteer Companion Guides.
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Change in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms as Assessed by Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Score |
3.35; 0.47 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Quality of Life as Assessed by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD) Tool |
0.21; -0.44 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Subjective Caregiver Burden as Assessed by the Zarit Burden Inventory-Short Form |
0.04; -0.69 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Depressive Symptoms in Caregivers as Assessed by The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) - 8 |
0.38; 0.59 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Perceived Loneliness as Measured by UCLA 3 Loneliness Scale |
0.20; -0.42 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Perceived Loneliness for Caregiver as Measured by UCLA 3 Loneliness Scale |
-0.39; 0.10 | — |
| PRIMARY Program Satisfaction and Perceived Impact Survey |
124.15 | — |
| PRIMARY Change in Perceived Impact of Leisure Activities as Measured by Leisure Activity Participation Impact Scale |
-1.71; -1.63 | — |
| SECONDARY Change in Caregiver Time Spent Helping Person Living With Dementia |
-14.04; -0.96 | — |
| SECONDARY Change in Depressive Symptoms in Senior Companion Volunteers as Assessed by The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) - 8 |
1.02; 0.80 | — |
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
Persons with dementia and informal caregiver (PWD/CG) must both meet eligibility criteria. These criteria are designed to reduce PWD/CG attrition and ensure safety of PWD, CG, and volunteers.
PWD are eligible if:
- English speaking;
- Have an established physician clinical diagnosis of dementia (any stage) and confirmed with Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the. Elderly (IQCODE) cut off >=52 ,
- Are able to participate in at least 4 basic Activities of Daily Living (out of 11),
- Have not received formal (i.e., in-home companion care, or adult day center) activity-focused care services in the past 4 weeks,
- Living at home in all counties in Maryland and Baltimore City,
- Have a co-residing informal caregiver willing to participate as study partner, and 30 years old or older.
CG are eligible if:
- English speaking,
- 21 years of age or older (male or female),
- Deemed to be a reliable informal caregiver (not paid for caregiving of PWD) who knows the PWD well,
- Co-residing with the PWD, and
- Relied on by the PWD for assistance in activities of daily living (instrumental or basic).
Volunteers (i.e. "Companion Guides") are eligible if:
- English-speaking,
- 55 years or older, (3) High School diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) (minimum) (2) ability pass a basic adult literacy screen
- Ability to pass a background check, physical and mental health screening,
- A Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)-Blind score of 18 or above,
- Ability to commit to 12 months of service (5 hours per week, excluding travel time and continuing education and support), and
- Are reliable during intake and on-boarding process and able to successfully complete training.
Exclusion Criteria
PWD are excluded if:
- Deemed to be in a crisis/unsafe situation at baseline,
- Planned transition from home in less than 6 months,
- At end-stage disease (e.g. bed-bound and non-communicative, or hospice),
- Currently enrolled in a dementia related clinical trial, or
- Deemed to have severe behavioral symptoms so severe that participation in this study is unsafe (e.g., are placing self or others at harm).
CGs are excluded if:
- Do not plan to be co-residing with the PWD in the next 6 months, or
- Currently involved in a behavioral/educational clinical trial.
Volunteers are excluded:
- Planning on moving from the area in the next 12 months,
- Unable to provide informed consent, and
- Report having an existing cognitive disorder diagnosis by a health provider (e.g., Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's disease or other type of dementia).
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03896711). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication. Informational only — not medical advice.