Published on: Oct 15, 2025
More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), supported by 12 million unpaid family caregivers whose contributions are valued at $413 billion annually. With the U.S. population continuing to age, these numbers are expected to nearly triple by 2050, highlighting an urgent need for innovative caregiver support solutions.
Now, Y. Alicia Hong, a digital health intervention researcher at George Mason University, has received a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to expand her work supporting dementia caregivers. Hong and her interdisciplinary team have developed Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE), a culturally tailored digital health intervention aimed at enhancing caregiving skills and improving caregiver wellbeing. The new funding will allow the team to refine WECARE with AI technology and evaluate its impact through a randomized controlled trial.
WECARE is one of the first personalized digital interventions for dementia caregivers, said Hong, a professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Administration and Policy. Although it is initially designed for Chinese American caregivers, it can be adapted for other groups and meets the growing demand for digital support in our aging society.
The 7-week program offers participants multimedia content about ADRD, interactive quiz games, social networking opportunities with other caregivers, personalized feedback, and individualized resources. Its success will be measured by participants’ reported depressive symptoms, while the study will also explore barriers and facilitators to long-term adoption.
This intervention comes at a critical time, as many family caregivers experience chronic health conditions due to the prolonged and intensive nature of dementia caregiving, underscoring the need for resources that support caregiver health.
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