Families in Later Life Research Laboratory
 Dr. Megan Gilligan
 Department of Human Development and Family Studies 
 Iowa State University 
 Ames, IA  
 
Before you begin this survey, we wanted to provide a description of the project and the project criteria. Once you read this information, please proceed to the survey. Thank you for your time!
 

Description of Project. Dr. Gilligan and her research team at Iowa State University, The Families in Later Life Research Lab, are leading a project funded by the National Institute on Aging. Previous work on family caregiving has focused on a single primary caregiver, but caregiving is often a “family affair” that involves multiple family members. Families can be both a source of support and stress during the caregiving process, and we are aiming to understand the role of stress and support during the caregiving process. This study has the ultimate goal of improving caregiving relationships for the care partners.

This study is currently recruiting two adult children within the same family to discuss their unique experiences of providing care to an older parent with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD). This study is designed to be low maintenance. All data collection can take place remotely, within your own home.

The Siblings Caring for Parents with Dementia study consists of three components: The completion of three online surveys, a video discussion using Zoom, and the self-collection of hair and saliva samples (which research assistants can help walk you through over Zoom). Participants can be compensated up to $95. Participation in all three of these components is voluntary. You may choose to only participate in only a portion of the study. A full breakdown of the study compensation can be found in the table below. 
 

Research Step Completed Total Participant Compensation
Pre-Survey $20
Pre-Survey + Video Discussion $45
Pre-Survey + Video Discussion + Saliva or Hair Sample $70
Pre-Survey + Video Discussion + Saliva and Hair Sample $95


Participant Criteria. You are eligible to participate if you fit the below criteria.

 
Participants must be adult children who: 

- have a parent with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD).
- are currently providing care for that parent.
- have at least one living sibling who would be willing to participate in the study with you. 'Sibling' can be defined as biological, adopted, step-sibling, sibling in-laws, not related by blood or marriage (fictive kin sibling), or other defined sibling relationship (you provide the definition).
- is currently residing in the United States.
 
If you fit the above criteria, please complete the following brief survey. Please note, you will be asked to enter the contact information for you and your sibling.
 
Note: The contact information for you and your sibling will be used in the following way and all information you provide will be kept confidential: 
- Email address: Participants will be emailed additional study information, including the surveys and video discussion links.
- Mailing address: Participants will receive a box of materials necessary for the video discussion to collect the biological (hair and saliva) samples. 
- Phone number: Participants can receive study updates via text message or phone call if they would prefer phone communication.

If you agree to participate in the study, you and your sibling will be contacted with the next steps of the study. The video discussion (which is approximately 90 minutes, if you volunteer to provide saliva samples) with your sibling will occur through online video and will be observed by a member of the research team. During the meeting, you and your sibling will be asked to collect biological samples to measure stress hormones. Participants will be provided with materials to perform the collections prior to the video discussion. Both you and your sibling can receive up to $95 in compensation for your time if you choose to participate in all aspects of the study (surveys, video discussion, and both biological sample collection). All information you provide will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone including your sibling. 
 
We invite you to watch this short video featuring Dr. Megan Gilligan, who introduces the study and what you can expect if you and your sibling decide to participate.
 
If you have any questions, please reach out to Dr. Megan Gilligan - email: mgilliga@iastate.edu | call/text: 1-515-337-2675

 
You will be asked questions to determine if your eligibility for the study. If you are eligible, you will be asked to provide your contact information so that you can be sent additional information about the study. Do you agree to provide this information?