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Are you or is someone you love having trouble with remembering things and keeping up with daily activities?

A little help around the house can make a big difference for older adults. Johns Hopkins is currently recruiting dozens of Baltimore-area residents and their caregivers for a study to determine how best to help older adults with mild cognitive impairment maintain independence.

The research study is called Community Aging in Place: Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) Family, and it’s based on a previous program called CAPABLE — a national program that Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Dean Sarah Szanton designed to facilitate aging in place. Dr. Szanton is also the study’s principal investigator.

With early-stage dementia, older adults may find it hard to keep up with everyday tasks.

“The goal [of the study] is to help older adults age in their communities and to be as independent as possible,” said Samantha Curriero, research program coordinator. “There’s so much impact we can make if we meet older adults where they’re at in their homes.”

CAPABLE Family is “primarily for older adults who have difficulty doing daily activities around the house and have troubles with their memory,” Curriero said.

How the study works

The CAPABLE Family program lasts for about four months. Participants will be visited at home 10 times.

An occupational therapist will make six visits, checking the house for potential upgrades, like grab bars in the shower. A handy worker will be on hand to install any new gadgets or make adjustments to the home.

In addition, a registered nurse will visit four times — all at no cost to participants, who can decide what they need.

“During these visits the older adult will create their own goals on things they want to do more independently,” Curriero said.

Expanding a successful program

So far, the nationwide CAPABLE Family study has been a big hit with participants.

“They definitely find a lot of benefit from the program,” Curriero said. “They love it.”

Hopkins has found that a few small changes can make a big difference in American society at large.

“There’s a lot of evidence that [the program] reduces healthcare costs, reduces depressive symptoms, and generally improves the independence, safety and health of older adults,” Curriero said.

Now Hopkins wants to adapt the successful program to better help older adults with cognitive impairment, as well as their caregivers.

“It works,” Curriero said. “We want to see how we can make it better for…people who have problems with their memory.”

For more information about the CAPABLE Family pilot study, or to volunteer to participate, call (410) 324-2511 or email capablefamilystudy@jhu.edu.