Support Via Technology: Living and Learning With Advancing FTD

The primary outcome variable, reactivity, will be assessed with the RMBPC, which measures the frequency of care recipient behavioral symptoms and care partner reactions to these behaviors. The RMBPC was chosen because it aligns with our theoretical foundation that assumes burden is a result of care partner reactions to behavioral symptoms.

The RMBPC is a 29-item caregiver report measure, 5-point Likert scale with frequency measuring from 0 (never occurred) to 4 (daily or more often) and reactivity measuring from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) for a total score between 0-116 for each subscale (frequency subscale and reactivity subscale). Higher scores indicate greater behavioral problems.

This is a brief, 13-item measure designed specifically to obtain a rating of the caregiver's Quality of Life. The measure focuses on quality of life domains. It uses simple and straightforward language and responses & includes assessments of the individual's relationships with friends and family, concerns about finances, physical condition, mood, and an overall assessment of life quality. The total range is 13 to 52 with lower scores indicating worse quality of life.

Measures caregiver self-efficacy for symptoms management and community support service use. Scale 10-100, higher scores indicating better sense of self-efficacy.

This is a 10-item scale that measures depression; the range is 0 (no depression) to 30 (severe depression).

Caregiver grief; Scale 18-90, higher scores=worse grief

The CGQ is a 22-item caregiver report measure, 5-point Likert scale designed to measure guilt in caregivers with response options from 0 (never) to 4 (always or almost always). Items are organized into five main subscales that are scored by computing the sum of the scores of the items belonging to the corresponding scale.

"Guilt about doing wrong by the care recipient" includes 7 items with a score range of 0-28. "Guilt about failing to meet the challenges of caregiving" includes 6 items with item #6 being reverse scored. The score ranges from 0-24. "Guilt about self-care" includes 4 items with a score range of 0-16. "Guilt about neglecting other relatives" includes 2 items with a score range of 0-8. "Guilt about having negative feelings towards other people" includes 3 items with a score range of 0-12.

The total score on the CGQ consists of the sum of the scores of all the subscales, with a total score ranging from 0-88. A higher total score reflects greater guilt.

Caregiver assessment of program

The Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) is a 10-item self-report measure of five personality domains: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experiences. Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("Disagree strongly") to 7 ("Agree strongly"). Items 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 are reverse-scored.

For this study, items were summed to create a total personality score. Possible total scores range from 10 to 70, with higher scores indicating stronger endorsement of personality characteristics across the five domains (i.e., higher trait expression).

The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) is a self-administered questionnaire used to assess an individual's sleep hygiene practices. It's a tool used in research and clinical settings to evaluate sleep habits and identify potential areas for improvement. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (always). Total scores range from 0 to 52, with a higher score representing poorer sleep hygiene.

A 9-item measure to assess whether caregivers contacted other caregivers or not.