Falzarano Family Caregiving Lab
Research for caregivers, by caregivers.
In 2021, Dr. Francesca Falzarano founded the ENRICH Lab to establish a program of scientific research that centers on advocacy and is directly informed by the voices of dementia family caregivers. Our goal is to conduct research that informs the design, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based research to reduce stress, address unmet needs, and enhance access to supportive services tailored for diverse dementia family caregivers. Motivated by her own experiences in caring for, and losing her parents, the lab has swiftly advanced in pioneering research focused on understanding the diverse experiences of families impacted by dementia. In 2024, the Falzarano Family Caregiving Lab (FFCL) was launched to commemorate our journey from a passionate group of students to a robust research program studying various aspects of the experiences and psychosocial outcomes associated with family caregiving. The FFCL symbolizes both our growth in the field of dementia caregiving research and the resilience that many of us have personally faced as family caregivers. Here at FFCL, we engage in diverse projects that utilize technology to enhance the well-being and quality of life of dementia caregivers and their care recipients. The FFCL is dedicated to working to bridge the gap between research and the real world, ensuring continuity and adequate support for dementia family caregivers across the research-practice-community pipeline.
Contact Us
University of Southern California 3715 McClintock Ave, Suite 213B Los Angeles, CA 90089
ffcl@usc.edu
(646) 780-9506
Projects
CarePair
Not yet recruiting
CarePair is an online tool designed for caregivers of individuals with dementia, offering personalized support through a brief survey to assess specific needs, preferences, and location. It directs caregivers to tailored resources such as fact sheets, videos, virtual classes, and both virtual and in-person support services. By bridging the gap between existing formal and informal dementia services and caregivers' awareness and accessibility to said services, CarePair streamlines the process, empowering caregivers to navigate their caregiving journey with confidence and ease.
Living Memory Home for Dementia Care Pairs (LMH-4-DCP)
Recruitment is currently closed for this study phase, recruitment for the next phase will be opening up shortly
The goal of LMH-4-DCP, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is to create a pre-loss, reminiscence-based web intervention for family caregivers and the persons they care for with early to moderate stages of dementia. The aim of our study is to gather input from dementia care experts, current as well as bereaved family caregivers, and individuals with mild to moderate dementia to inform the development of the LMH-4-DCP web application. Participants in the current phase will be asked to provide feedback on our website’s features, design, proposed website modifications, and activities.
The ENRICH Project
Closed to recruitment
This study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, focuses on studying psychosocial well-being, unmet needs, and supportive service use in dementia family caregivers. Primary caregivers are family and/or friends who provide a majority of the care required for an individual with Alzheimer’s disease/dementia. The goal of the study is to better understand the psychosocial needs of caregivers and examine the types of resources and support services that would be most beneficial to promote the well-being of caregivers.
“What brought me here is the fact that there's nowhere else to go… I like to say, ‘Diagnose and Adios.’”
– Dementia Family Caregiver
Read about it!
Click the button below to find a list of citations to published work that has come not only out of our lab and our lab members.