title: Home-based exercise and support programme for people with dementia and their caregivers: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dementia affects the mood of people with dementia but also of their caregivers. In the coming years, the number of people with dementia will increase worldwide and most of them will continue to live in the community as long as possible. Home-based psychosocial interventions reducing the depressive symptoms of both people with dementia and their caregivers in their own home are highly needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This manuscript describes the design of a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of the effects of a home-based exercise and support programme for people with dementia and their caregivers. The aim is to randomly assign 156 dyads (caregiver and dementia diagnosed person) to an intervention group or a comparison group. The experimental group receives a home programme in which exercise and support for the people with dementia and their caregivers are combined and integrated. The comparison group receives a minimal intervention. Primary outcomes are physical health (people with dementia) and mood (people with dementia and caregivers). In addition, to get more insight in the working components of the intervention and the impact of the intervention on the relationship of the dyads a qualitative sub-study is carried out.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study aims to contribute to an evidence-based treatment to reduce depressive symptoms among people with dementia and their caregivers independently living in the community.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study has been registered at the Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR), which is connected to the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform of the WHO.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  NTR1802.
authors: Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.j.c.prick@vu.nl
authors: Anna-Eva
authors: AE
authors: Prick
authors: Jacomine
authors: J
authors: de Lange
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Scherder
authors: Anne Margriet
authors: AM
authors: Pot
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012944:Social Support