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Community Health Worker Support for Rural Care Partners of Seriously Ill Older Veterans

This study is looking at how trained Community Health Workers (CHWs) can support family members or friends (care partners) who are helping seriously ill older Veterans. The CHWs will provide remote support, connecting care partners to helpful resources in their communities and through the VA. The goal is to improve the well-being of both the care partners and the Veterans, reduce the care partners' workload, and increase their satisfaction with VA care. We are looking for care partners who are at least 18 years old, live in a rural area, and are already enrolled in the VA's General Caregiver Support Program. The study will measure how much a care partner's burden changes over 6 months.

Study design
This study plans to enroll 480 participants in a randomized controlled trial over 27 months. Participants will either receive support from a Community Health Worker or continue with usual care.
What's involved
The intervention will last for 6 months. Care partners will complete surveys at the beginning of the study and again at 6 months.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 6 months after the intervention begins.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06963970

Using Community Health Workers to Support Rural Care Partners of Seriously Ill Older Veterans

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalSupportive care
VA Office of Research and Development
~480 participants
Updated 2026-06-17 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Remote Community Health Worker support

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Zarit-12 Cargiver Burden Interview
Measured over baseline and 6 months

Conditions

Dementia
Cancer
Renal Disease
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
North Carolina1

Study leadership

  • Nathan A Boucher, DrPH · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Who to contact

Jennifer B Zervakis, PhD
[email protected]
(919) 286-0411 · ext. 176174
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

A relative, friend, or partner (18 years of age) with whom Veteran patient has a personal relationship who assists Veteran regularly with care and/or care coordination as defined under "Veterans" below
Residing in a rural area based on RUCC or Rural-Urban Continuum Codes83
Must be enrolled in CSP Program of General Caregiver Support Services
Can live with or separately from the Veteran; able to communicate in English by phone
Receiving care at Durham, Asheville, and Richmond VA Health Systems (e.g., at least 2 outpatient visits in past year; has a primary provider) and residing in a rural area.
Diagnosed with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, dementia, or end-stage renal disease.
Requires assistance with at least one ADL (i.e., walking, feeding, toileting, transferring, bathing, or dressing) or IADL (i.e., transport, medication, financial management, shopping, or meal preparation)
50 years old or older and able to communicate in English by phone (for assessments)

Exclusion

Flag or social work note indicating suspected Caregiver abuse.
Unable to communicate in English by phone for assessments.

What this trial measures

  • Zarit-12 Cargiver Burden Interviewbaseline and 6 months

    Care partners randomized to intervention will have lower mean Zarit-12 scores at 6 months compared to the control group. Each question is scored on a five-point Likert scale from 0 to 4, with higher scores representing a greater feeling of burden. The total ZBI-12 score is the summation of 12 items, with a total score range from 0 to 484. Higher indicates more burden. A cut-off score of 13 points on the ZBI-12 is suggested for screening burden in community-dwelling older caregivers, but should not be assumed as normative data. 5 categories: health, psychological well-being, finances, social life, relationship with impaired person. 12 item, α=0.88-0.91