Caring for Dementia Caregivers in Ethnic Immigrant Communities

Many caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias-especially those in immigrant communities who don't speak English well-don't get access to helpful, proven support programs. This is especially true for Korean American caregivers. To address this, our team adapted an existing caregiver support program (called the Savvy Caregiver Program) to better fit Korean culture and language. This new version, called K-Savvy, is a 6-week online program taught in Korean. In an earlier small study, K-Savvy worked well: caregivers found it helpful, were willing to use it, and showed fewer symptoms of depression. Now, we want to study it more carefully to see how well it really works and why. Our study has two main goals: Goal 1: We will measure whether K-Savvy improves caregivers' well-being-specifically whether it reduces stress and depression and helps them feel more positive about caregiving. We will also look at why it works, focusing on whether it changes how caregivers think about their situation (for example, feeling less overwhelmed and more confident). Goal 2: We will talk directly with caregivers and program instructors to understand their experiences with K-Savvy. This will help us learn what worked well, what didn't, and why.

Inclusion Criteria: * self-identified Korean American adults 18 or older who provide care for a family member with ADRD as a primary caregiver, speak English less than "very well," and can attend virtual classes through an electronic device and the Internet. Primary caregiver is defined as someone who provides weekly minimum of 10 hours of in-home caregiving to a family member. Exclusion Criteria: * Because K-Savvy is not a mental health treatment program, individuals with severe depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 20) will be excluded.