BRI Care Consultation

BRI Care Consultation is an intervention for adults with a chronic physical or mental health condition or disability and a primary caregiver (family member or friend) who assists the adult with daily activities, tasks, and health- related discussions. The intervention links and coordinates health care, community, and family services for clients (both the patient and the primary caregiver), organizes family and friends in assisting in care tasks, and provides emotional support.

BRI Care Consultation is an intervention for adults with a chronic physical or mental health condition or disability and a primary caregiver (family member or friend) who assists the adult with daily activities, tasks, and healthrelated discussions.

From baseline to 6-month followup, among patients with more cognitive impairment, those in the intervention group had a greater decrease in perceived unmet needs than those in the comparison group (44.1% vs. 7.8%; p = .02). Caregivers from the intervention group had a significantly greater decrease in perceived unmet needs than those in the comparison group (45.7% vs. 27.6%; p = .01). In addition, among caregivers assisting a more cognitively impaired patient with dementia, those in the intervention group had a significantly greater decrease in perceived unmet needs than those in the comparison group (54.2% vs. 24.6%; p < .001). Among patients with more functional impairment, patients in the intervention group had a greater decrease in relationship strain than those in the comparison group (80% vs. 25%; p = .05). Among caregivers with higher baseline role captivity, those in the intervention group had a significantly greater decrease in role captivity than those in the comparison group (25% vs. 4.8%; p = .02). No significant differences were found between groups on relationship strain or physical deterioration. Among patients with more cognitive impairment, those in the intervention group had a 30.1% decrease in symptoms of depression and those in the comparison group had a 50% increase (p = .03). Symptoms of depression increased less among the intervention group caregivers than comparison group caregivers (6.8% vs. 28.2%; p = .047). Among patients with more cognitive impairment at 6-month followup, those in the intervention group had significantly fewer hospital re-admissions than those in the comparison group (1.9 vs. 2.6; p = .01).