Legacy Intervention Family Enactment (LIFE) (LIFE)
Pain, Retention Disorders, Cognitive, Other Chronic Illness
About this trial
This is an interventional supportive care trial for Pain focused on measuring Palliative care dyads, Volunteers, Community-based, Mixed methods
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria for Palliative Care Patients:
- Age 55 or older
- Living in the community or assisted living
- Had an advanced illness or combination of chronic illnesses
- Received a score of three or greater on the Vulnerable Elders Scale
- Had no more than mild cognitive impairment
- Received an average of four hours per week of care from a caregiver
- Read and spoke English.
Inclusion Criteria for Palliative Caregivers:
- Identified by an eligible palliative care patient
- Age 19 or older
- Providing an average of four hours per week of care for the patient
- Cognitively intact
- Lived nearby
- Read and spoke English.
Inclusion Criteria for Retired Senior Volunteers:
- Participants in the national Senior Corp program
- Had a high school education
- Read and spoke English
- Had a car and drove independently.
Exclusion Criteria for patient-caregiver dyads:
- If the patient was receiving hospice care
- If either individual had schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
- If the patient had a nursing home admission planned within three months.
Sites / Locations
- The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
LIFE Intervention
Supportive Telephone Contact Control
RSVs received intensive training in the manualized intervention, including practice opportunities. The manual and accompanying workbook consist of instructions about using the steps of problem solving to decide on a period of life and creative activity project; constructing a project; evaluation of the activity; and additional questions. With the help of the RSV, dyads narrow the focus to one time period in the patients' life that could be adequately represented in one tangible project (scrapbook, audiotapes). The RSV and dyad brainstormed ways to portray the life story and then narrowed the focus to one meaningful project. The dyad gathered all necessary materials (such as pictures) and actively worked on completing a portion of the project between sessions.
Patients and caregivers each received three separate, structured emotional support telephone calls with research staff (M duration = 13 minutes; SD = 6.5 minutes) to minimize differential drop-out with the RSV intervention group. Control callers asked questions of participants and then engaged in supportive conversations using empathic listening and reflection. Topics discussed included family, intergenerational ties, and important aspects of the patient's life, but structured reminiscence and the creative and therapeutic nature of legacy activities were not discussed.