Sara Bybee, PhD, LCSW, a research assistant professor at the University of Utah College of Nursing, has been awarded a prestigious $2.9 million R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to develop a novel tool to measure financial hardship among people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and their care contributors.
The five-year project aims to address a critical gap. While financial toxicity measures exist for cancer patients, no validated tools currently exist to assess the financial strain faced by those impacted by dementia, especially among sexual and gender minority (SGM) older adults.
By 2030, it is projected that 9 million U.S. adults aged 50 and older will have ADRD, with 1 million identifying as part of the SGM population. The research team will take a community-engaged approach, gathering vital feedback from people living with dementia, their care contributors, and expert stakeholders to inform the development of the new screening tool.
“Alzheimer’s is one of the most expensive diseases, and we know financial hardship is linked to worse health outcomes for both people living with dementia and any who care for them,” said Marla De Jong, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN, Dean of the College of Nursing. “This groundbreaking work by Dr. Bybee and her team has the potential to significantly influence future policies and programs to improve quality of life for all impacted by this devastating disease.”
The project will run from August 2024 through June 2029, with a collaborative research team including Drs. Kara Dassel, Jia-Wen Guo, Eli Iacob, Fernando Wilson, Troy Andersen, and Jason Flatt.