The Family Caregiving Translational Science Lab conducts research to better support family caregivers to persons living with chronic and disabling conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. We develop and test interventions to make programs accessible and acceptable to family caregivers, and so they can be feasibly delivered in health and community settings. Our current research encompasses programs to support high-quality care by family members, as well as programs to reduce financial strain.
Featured Projects
If you would like to find out more about any of the featured research programs, please email knm77@case.edu or call 216-369-1928.
Learning Skills Together
Family caregivers are often asked to conduct complex medical and nursing tasks, such as managing medications, assisting with transfers, and preparing special diets for their family members. Learning Skills Together is a 6-week, Zoom-delivered program developed to prepare family caregivers to provide complex care to their family members living with dementia.
Status: Enrollment for this study is now closed.
CONFIDENCE Financial Education Program
CONFIDENCE is a 4-week course to help family caregivers reduce financial strain and lower the out-of-pocket costs of caregiving. During the program, caregivers learn about how to navigate community and other resources that may displace some out-of-pocket costs. CONFIDENCE is tailored to Latino and Hispanic family caregivers.
Status: Enrollment for this study is now closed.
Learn about results from the CONFIDENCE program in the articles below:
- Meyer, K, Dorai, C, Perales-Puchalt, J, Puga, F, Zauszniewski, JA, Aguila Rodriguez, R, Garcia Rodriguez, M, Cola, P, Benton, D (2026). AI-Enhanced Culturally Tailored Intervention for Latino Family Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia: A Feasibility Study. The Gerontologist, 66(3): doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf305.
- Mage S, Benton D, Wilber K, Aguila Rodriguez R, Silva D, Gonzalez A, Puga F, Meyer K (2025). Acceptability of a Web-Based Financial Education Intervention for Latino Caregivers: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation. JMIR Form Res, 9:e70471 doi: 10.2196/70471.
- Meyer, K, Mage, S, Gonzalez, A, Zauszniewski, JA, Rhodes, S, Perales-Puchalt, J, Wilber, K, Song, L, Puga, F, Benton, D. (2024). Lessons from a Pilot Study of a Culturally Tailored Financial Well-Being Intervention Among Latino Family Caregivers. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 44(6):938-948. doi: 10.1177/07334648241293524
Caregiving Advisory Council
The Caregiver Advisory Council meets monthly to discuss programs and research at the Family Caregiving Translational Science Lab. Members include family caregivers to persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. The Advisory Council ensures interventions and research is responsive to the needs and preferences of caregivers.
Status: We are currently seeking new Council members. Please email Kylie Meyer at knm77@case.edu for more information.
Knowledge and Interpersonal Skills to Develop Exemplary Relationships (KINDER)
Family caregiving and the onset of dementia contribute to multiple changes in family relationships, which can sometimes lead to feelings of relationship strain. KINDER is a 9-week psychoeducational program to support healthy family caregiving relationships and high-quality care among family caregivers to persons living with dementia.
Status: Enrollment for the next KINDER study will begin in Fall 2026.
Learn about results from the KINDER program in the articles below:
- Meyer, K, Zauszniewski, JA, Wei, W., Gassoumis, Z, Gonzales, A, Irani, E, and Benton, D. (2025). Development of a theory-based intervention to prevent abuse of older adults. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 37(5), 416–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2025.2544280
- Meyer,K, Wei, W, Jeanine Yonashiro-Cho, J, Mage, S, Kim, S, Irani, E, Burant, C, Gassoumis, Z, Gentry, E, Zauszniewski, ZA, Benton, D. (2025) The Acceptability of an Intervention to Prevent Elder Mistreatment Among Family Caregivers to Persons Living with Dementia: A Multi-Method Pilot Study. JMIR Formative Research, 30:9:e73778. doi: 10.2196/73778.
- Meyer, K., Yonashiro-Cho, J, Zauszniewski, JA, Burant, C, Mosqueda, L, Gassoumis, Z, & Benton, D. (2025). A feasibility study of KINDER: an elder mistreatment intervention for family caregivers of persons living with dementia. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 37(2):107-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2025.2460835
Kylie Meyer, PhD
Assistant Professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Email: knm77@case.edu
Kylie Meyer, PhD, iis a Gerontologist and Assistant Professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University and Co-Director of the University Center on Aging and Health. Her research program focuses on psychoeducational interventions to support family caregivers in multiple domains, such as complex medical/nursing care, healthy caregiving relationships, and financial well-being. She is dedicated to research translation to ensure innovations reach caregiving families, particularly those living with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. She does this by integrating basic research, theory, caregiver and provider input, and knowledge of the health policy systems.
Since 2022, she has led a National Institute on Aging (NIA) R01 study, “Learning Skills Together: A randomized control trial of a dementia caregiving complex care training intervention.” In 2025, she launched a second NIA R01-supported trial of the Knowledge and Interpersonal Skills to Develop Enhanced Relationships intervention to prevent elder mistreatment in care dyads. From 2020 to 2021, she was an NIH Translational Science Training TL1 Fellow at UT Health San Antonio, and continued training in translational research as an NIA Faculty Scholar for the IMPACT Collaboratory from 2022 to 2024. Dr. Meyer employs both qualitative and quantitative methods in her research. In 2014, she received a US-UK Fulbright award, an experience that contributed to her dedication to advancing knowledge and evidence-based policies that support person- and family-centered care. In 2018, she played an integral role in delivering policy recommendations to the California State Legislature to better support caregiving families in this state.
Patricia Burant, Ed.D.
Project Manager
Email: pab75@case.edu
Lauren Jones
Project Manager
Email: ltj15@case.edu
Ryan Burant
Research Assistant
Email: rtb104@case.edu
Wei-Lin Xue
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: wxx226@case.edu