Alzheimer DiseaseNCT03667924

Utilizing Senior Companions to Enhance Dementia Care

A study testing PorchLight Project in people with Alzheimer Disease and Dementia, run by University of Minnesota at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

Who is it for?: Ages 21 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for: Alzheimer Disease, Dementia
What is being tested?: PorchLight Project
Type of treatment: Lifestyle or therapy programme
Could I receive a placebo?: No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people: 44 participants
Where: 1 siteUnited States
Study dates: 29 Apr 2019to 31 Aug 2020
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 21 years and older
All sexes
Healthy volunteers accepted
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

None listed.

Who cannot join

A PWML or caregiver will be ineligible if they have a diagnosis of a serious psychiatric illness, their symptoms have worsened in the last 6 months, and they don't receive steady, ongoing treatment for those symptoms.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

School of Public Health
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Utilizing Senior Companions to Enhance Dementia Care Services and Supports

The inability of healthcare systems to effectively manage Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) often results in families remaining unaware of important community-based, long-term services and supports (LTSS) that could help to mitigate the negative effects of cognitive impairment. This project will feature a collaboration between Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota to evaluate a novel adaption of the volunteer Senior Companion Program (SCP) to: a) assist families better manage ADRD at home; b) identify and facilitate the use of LTSS; and c) improve engagement with primary care providers throughout the state of Minnesota. If successful, the PorchLight Project will offer a potentially efficient, wide-ranging service model for states and communities to implement for persons with ADRD and their caregiving families.

Read the detailed description

This project will evaluate a novel adaption of the Senior Companion Program (SCP) administered by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota to assist families better manage their relatives' Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRDs); identify and facilitate use of community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS); and improve engagement with healthcare providers. This intervention, called the PorchLight Project has the following aims:

Specific Aim 1. Implement PorchLight Project for 25 persons with ADRD or memory concerns (collectively, persons with memory loss [PWML]) and/or their caregivers in one urban and rural region of Minnesota. A convergent parallel mixed methods design [(QUAN+QUAL)-->QUAL] will be utilized to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of PorchLight Project for 25 families and their SC-Ds (n = 20) over a 3-month period (i.e., Stage I of the NIH Stage Model).

Specific Aim 2. Refine PorchLight Project delivery and implementation for efficacy evaluation. Activities to support this aim will include assessment of R61 milestones and incorporation of R61 findings to refine the PorchLight Project prior to efficacy evaluation. Through stakeholder engagement with the Dementia Healthcare Research Advisory Group (DHR) as well as analysis of the various quantitative and qualitative data elements collected during this Phase, we will finalize and refine effective training approaches for PorchLight Project Senior Companions (SCs), identify and confirm stakeholder-centric measures, and enhance the overall implementation of the PorchLight Project to inform a subsequent R33 Phase.

Conditions: Alzheimer Disease, Dementia
Being tested: PorchLight Project
Keywords: Caregiving, Community-based care, Long-term services and supports, Volunteer
Medical subject headings: Alzheimer Disease, Dementia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

PorchLight ProjectBehavioural
Senior Companions (or other LSS-MN volunteers providing senior companionship services) who deliver the PorchLight Project will complete online CARES® Dementia Care Specialist training modules, additional trainings delivered by the research team (1. overview of the PorchLight Project, 2. review of the National Consensus Guidelines on Palliative Care, 3. review of the list of guided questions, and 4. review of journaling approach and LTSS resources), and participate in unstructured monthly check-ins (discussions and case review as applicable) with the research team.

Study groups in NCT03667924
Study group	Role	What they receive
PorchLight Project Intervention Group	Experimental	Participants in the intervention group will receive home-based support and respite services from PorchLight Project trained Senior Companion volunteers of the Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota. Receives: Behavioral: PorchLight Project

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Utilization of LTSS by PWML and Caregivers
Community-based service utilization of PWML and caregivers will be assessed by asking participants to identify (from a fixed list of options) fifteen different home and community-based services (HCBS).
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
Quality of Primary Care Interactions
A 3-item measure of quality of interaction during primary care provider encounters. The total mean of item-responses was calculated, with a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 4. The higher scores mean higher quality interactions.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
Caregiver Distress: Burden
Caregiver distress will be ascertained with the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview. Scores were summed; the higher the score, the more burden perceived. Minimum score of 0, high score of 88.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
Caregiver Distress: Depressive Symptoms
Caregiver distress will be ascertained with the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. An average/mean, total score of item-responses was computed, with a minimum score of 1 and a high score of 4. The higher the score, the more depressive symptoms experienced.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
PWML Well-being
We will assess the PWML health related quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L Visual Analog Scale. The measure is single score of a minimum of 0 and maximum of 100. Higher scores indicate better health.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
PWML Depression
PWML Depression will be ascertained using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form. The scale score is summed, with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum of 15. The higher the score, the greater the depressive symptoms experienced/indicated.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
PWML Quality of Life
PWML Quality of Life will be ascertained using the 13-item Quality of Life Alzheimer's Disease-Measure (QOL-AD). The measure score is summed. The minimum score is 13 and the maximum score is 52. The higher the score, the greater perceived quality of life.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month

Secondary outcomes (1)

Caregiver Self-efficacy
An 8-item measure of caregiver self-efficacy developed by Fortinsky et al. (2002). The score is summed; the higher the score, the more self-efficacy the caregiver perceives. The minimum score on the scale is 8, the maximum is 40.
Measured: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

29 Apr 201931 Aug 2020

First posted12 Sep 2018
Study start29 Apr 2019
Primary completion31 Aug 2020
Study completion31 Aug 2020

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for Alzheimer DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
More trials run by University of MinnesotaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Not applicable
Intervention model: Single group
Model description: Enrollment: Number of participants: 44 (33 senior volunteers; 7 clients (PWML); 4 caregivers)
Masking: None (open label)
Enrolment: 44 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03667924
Sponsor's protocol ID: STUDY00004176
Other IDs: R61AG061903
Status last verified: Mar 2026
First submitted: 10 Sep 2018
Last updated: 8 Apr 2026
Results posted: Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
Data monitoring committee: No
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: No

Publications

Rosebush CE, Stabler H, Nkimbeng M, Louwagie K, Fields NL, Jutkowitz E, Shippee TP, Gaugler JE. The Porchlight Project: A Pilot Study to Adapt the Senior Companion Program to Enhance Memory Care Services and Supports. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2021 May 14;7:23337214211017651. doi: 10.1177/23337214211017651. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.
PubMed 34036120

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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All Alzheimer Disease trials

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Utilizing Senior Companions to Enhance Dementia Care Services and Supports
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03667924
Acronym / sponsor ID: STUDY00004176
Conditions: Alzheimer Disease, Dementia
Keywords: Caregiving, Community-based care, Long-term services and supports, Volunteer
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 44 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: University of MinnesotaUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, National Institute on Aging (NIA), University of Texas
Study start: 29 Apr 2019 (actual)
Primary completion: 31 Aug 2020 (actual)
Study completion: 31 Aug 2020 (actual)
First posted: 12 Sep 2018 (actual)
Results: Posted 25 Nov 2022

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Study design

Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Not applicable
Intervention model: Single group
Masking: None (open label)
Number of arms: 1
Model description: Enrollment: Number of participants: 44 (33 senior volunteers; 7 clients (PWML); 4 caregivers)

Arm	Type	Receives
PorchLight Project Intervention Group	Experimental	Behavioral: PorchLight ProjectParticipants in the intervention group will receive home-based support and respite services from PorchLight Project trained Senior Companion volunteers of the Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota.

Who may qualify

Ages: 21 years and older
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (0 listed)

Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)

A PWML or caregiver will be ineligible if they have a diagnosis of a serious psychiatric illness, their symptoms have worsened in the last 6 months, and they don't receive steady, ongoing treatment for those symptoms.

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
PorchLight ProjectSenior Companions (or other LSS-MN volunteers providing senior companionship services) who deliver the PorchLight Project will complete online CARES® Dementia Care Specialist training modules, additional trainings delivered by the research team (1. overview of the PorchLight Project, 2. review of the National Consensus Guidelines on Palliative Care, 3. review of the list of guided questions, and 4. review of journaling approach and LTSS resources), and participate in unstructured monthly check-ins (discussions and case review as applicable) with the research team.	Behavioural	PorchLight Project Intervention Group

Primary outcome

Utilization of LTSS by PWML and Caregivers
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
Community-based service utilization of PWML and caregivers will be assessed by asking participants to identify (from a fixed list of options) fifteen different home and community-based services (HCBS).
Quality of Primary Care Interactions
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
A 3-item measure of quality of interaction during primary care provider encounters. The total mean of item-responses was calculated, with a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 4. The higher scores mean higher quality interactions.
Caregiver Distress: Burden
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
Caregiver distress will be ascertained with the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview. Scores were summed; the higher the score, the more burden perceived. Minimum score of 0, high score of 88.
Caregiver Distress: Depressive Symptoms
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
Caregiver distress will be ascertained with the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. An average/mean, total score of item-responses was computed, with a minimum score of 1 and a high score of 4. The higher the score, the more depressive symptoms experienced.
PWML Well-being
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
We will assess the PWML health related quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L Visual Analog Scale. The measure is single score of a minimum of 0 and maximum of 100. Higher scores indicate better health.
PWML Depression
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
PWML Depression will be ascertained using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form. The scale score is summed, with a minimum score of 0 and a maximum of 15. The higher the score, the greater the depressive symptoms experienced/indicated.
PWML Quality of Life
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month
PWML Quality of Life will be ascertained using the 13-item Quality of Life Alzheimer's Disease-Measure (QOL-AD). The measure score is summed. The minimum score is 13 and the maximum score is 52. The higher the score, the greater perceived quality of life.

1 secondary outcome

Caregiver Self-efficacy
Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month

Results and safety

Results posted to the registry on 25 Nov 2022, as reported by the sponsor. Figures are copied from the record, not re-analysed. Full results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Participant flow

Group	Started	Completed
PorchLight Project Intervention Group: Clients	7	7
Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Volunteers	33	31
Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Caregivers	4	4

Primary outcome: Utilization of LTSS by PWML and Caregivers

Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month. Count of participants. Unit: Participants

Measure	Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Clients n = 7	Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Caregivers n = 4
Baseline : Case Management	1	1
Baseline : Visiting nurse services	2	1
Baseline : Physical therapy	3	2
Baseline : Speech/Occupational therapy	1	1
Baseline : Transportation to health services	2	0
Baseline : Adaptive/assistive supplies	6	2
Baseline : Social/adult day services	0	0
Baseline : Congregate meals	1	1

Population analysed: Analysis population is the same as those who were enrolled, completed a baseline survey, and remained in the study for the 3 month follow-up

Primary outcome: Quality of Primary Care Interactions

Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month. Mean (Standard Deviation). Unit: score on a scale

Measure	Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Caregivers n = 4
Baseline	2.92 (0.83)
1-Month	3.22 (0.51)
3-month	3.50 (0.71)

Population analysed: One participant was loss to follow-up; in addition, at 3 months, one participant indicated they did not attend a doctor's appointment with the care recipient and thus did not complete the subsequent 3-item measure.

Primary outcome: Caregiver Distress: Burden

Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month. Mean (Standard Error). Unit: score on a scale

Measure	Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Caregivers n = 4
Baseline	20.5 (18.91)
1-month	30.33 (20.03)
3-months	13.00 (7.00)

Population analysed: One caregiver was lost to follow-up at the 1- and 3-month intervals.

Primary outcome: Caregiver Distress: Depressive Symptoms

Time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month. Mean (Standard Deviation). Unit: score on a scale

Measure	Porchlight Project Intervention Group: Caregivers n = 4
Baseline	1.29 (0.25)
1 Month	1.22 (0.19)
3 Month	1.17 (0.16)

Population analysed: One caregiver was lost to follow up during the 3 month study period.

1 secondary outcome is reported in the full results.

Adverse events

Time frame: Client: about 4 months; Caregiver: about 4 months; Volunteer: up to about 16 months (consent through end of funding period). Other adverse events reported at 0% frequency or more

Group	Serious adverse events	Other adverse events	Deaths
Experimental: PorchLight Project Intervention Group: Volunteers	1 of 33 (3%)	2 of 33 (6.1%)	1 of 33
Experimental: PorchLight Project Intervention Group: Clients	2 of 7 (28.6%)	0 of 7 (0%)	1 of 7
Experimental: PorchLight Project Intervention Group: Caregivers	1 of 4 (25%)	0 of 4 (0%)	0 of 4

Limitations and caveats (from the sponsor): From PMCID: PMC8127785/PMID: 34036120: "...initial recruitment challenges as well as the COVID-19 pandemic severely curtailed our enrollment of clients and caregivers...Volunteer recruitment was successful (n = 33), and the largest barrier to training completion was early termination related to the pandemic...Due to slower training progress in the rural region, we did not enroll any rural clients or caregivers."

Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Apr 2026.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
Results publication: PubMed 34036120Rosebush CE, Stabler H, Nkimbeng M, Louwagie K, Fields NL, Jutkowitz E, Shippee TP, Gaugler JE. The Porchlight Project: A Pilot Study to Adapt the Senior Companion Program to Enhance Memory Care Services and Supports. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2021 May 14;7:23337214211017651. doi: 10.1177/23337214211017651. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: No

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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing PorchLight Project in people with Alzheimer Disease and Dementia, run by University of Minnesota at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 0 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 25 Nov 2022). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Utilization of LTSS by PWML and Caregivers (time frame: Baseline, 1-month, 3-month). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03667924, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Apr 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.