About WECARE
Learn about WECARE, why it was created, and the research behind the program.
What is WECARE?
WECARE, which stands for Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers, is a mobile health program for family caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. It is designed for caregivers who carry many caregiving responsibilities and is culturally tailored for Chinese American family caregivers. WECARE provides personalized information and support to help caregivers strengthen their caregiving skills and support their well-being.
What caregivers learn about
- Dementia and how it affects daily life
- Caring for a family member at home
- Communication
- Solving everyday caregiving problems
- Taking care of yourself as a caregiver
What the program includes
- Short videos and stories
- Articles and infographics
- Demonstrations of common caregiving situations
- Downloadable documents and practical resources
- Voice diaries
How WECARE Supports Caregivers
WECARE helps caregivers build practical knowledge and skills, manage the stress of caregiving, and look after their own well-being.
- 7 weeks in the program
- 6 days of activities each week
- About 10 minutes each day
Why WECARE Was Created
Caring for a family member with dementia can bring changing responsibilities, difficult decisions, and emotional stress. Finding support that reflects a caregiver’s language, culture, family relationships, and everyday experiences can also be difficult.
Developed with input from caregivers, WECARE was created to make dementia caregiving support more relevant and accessible for Chinese American families.
The program is part of the Healthy Aging Innovation (HAI) Lab Opens in a new tab at George Mason University, where researchers develop and evaluate approaches to support healthy aging, caregivers, and older adults.
The Research Behind WECARE
WECARE has been developed and studied in stages. The current project, WECARE 3.0, builds on earlier WECARE research and is being evaluated through a randomized controlled trial.
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WECARE Development Study
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WECARE Pilot Study
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WECARE 2.0 Study
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WECARE 3.0: Current Research
The study evaluates a personalized, culturally tailored digital health intervention that uses AI-enhanced features to support caregiving mastery and psychosocial well-being among Chinese American dementia caregivers.
WECARE 3.0: A Personalized Intervention for High-demand Dementia Caregivers National Institute on Aging NIH R01AG090610 · 2025–2030
Learn about the WECARE 3.0 research project Opens in a new tab