S4ca Inc

PLANS4CARE: PERSONALIZED DEMENTIA CARE ON-DEMAND - PROJECT ABSTRACT ALTHOUGH >11 MILLION FAMILY/FRIENDS ARE CAREGIVERS TO >6 MILLION PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) AND AD- RELATED DEMENTIAS (AD/ADRD), THEY DO NOT TYPICALLY RECEIVE PERSONALIZED EDUCATION, STRATEGIES AND SUPPORT TO MANAGE THEIR OWN WELLBEING AND COMPLEX DEMENTIA-RELATED SYMPTOMS. LACK OF PERSONALIZED CARE CONTRIBUTES TO $321 BILLION ANNUALLY IN AD/ADRD CARE COSTS. IN RESPONSE, OUR COMPANY, PLANS4CARE, INC, PROPOSES A FAST- TRACK SBIR (PAS-22-196) TO BUILD AND TEST A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT DELIVERS PERSONALIZED CARE PLANS TO CAREGIVERS ON A SMARTPHONE, TABLET OR COMPUTER. TO GENERATE A PERSONALIZED CARE PLAN, CAREGIVERS SELECT A CARE CHALLENGE (FROM >50) THEY SEEK TO ADDRESS, AND RESPOND TO BRIEF, EASY-TO-ANSWER QUESTIONS (ASSESSMENT). A NOVEL CLINICAL ALGORITHM, DEVELOPED BY PLANS4CARE, MAPS THE CHALLENGE AND ASSESSMENT RESULTS TO THE COMPANY’S DATABASE OF >1,000 EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES. A RESULTANT PERSONALIZED CARE PLAN CONTAINS EDUCATION ABOUT THE CARE CHALLENGE AND SPECIFIC STRATEGIES MODIFYING THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, TASKS, AND/OR ACTIVITIES. CAREGIVERS ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO TRAINED DEMENTIA SPECIALISTS (CARE ADVISORS) FOR ONE-ON-ONE TELE-SUPPORT AS NEEDED. PHASE I WILL DEVELOP AND EVALUATE A PROTOTYPE. PHASE I SPECIFIC AIMS INCLUDE: AIM 1: DEVELOP A CLICKABLE PROTOTYPE WITH CLINICAL ALGORITHMS THAT MAP 5 COMMON CARE CHALLENGES TO BRIEF ASSESSMENTS AND EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO GENERATE TAILORED CARE PLANS; AND AIM 2: DETERMINE FEASIBILITY (ABLE TO USE PLATFORM TO IDENTIFY CHALLENGE/GENERATE CARE PLAN), ACCEPTABILITY (APPEAL, APPROPRIATENESS), AND USABILITY (ABLE TO NAVIGATE), USING FOCUS GROUP AND SURVEY METHODOLOGIES INVOLVING VALIDATED MEASURES WITH 25 DIVERSE CAREGIVERS (RACIALLY, ETHNICALLY, AGE, RELATIONSHIP, GEOGRAPHY). AT THE CONCLUSION OF PHASE I, QUANTITATIVE MILESTONES (GO-NO GO) TO TRANSITION TO PHASE II ARE: 1) 25 CAREGIVERS ENROLLED; 2) 75% COMPLETE ASSIGNED PLANS4CARE TASK: ONBOARD, IDENTIFY CARE CHALLENGE, GENERATE CARE PLAN (FEASIBILITY); 3) 75% RATE PLANS4CARE ACCEPTABLE; AND 4) 75% RATE NAVIGATION EASY-TO-USE (USABILITY). DURING PHASE II, WE WILL ASCERTAIN IF EMBEDDING PLANS4CARE INTO LARGE GERIATRIC PRIMARY CARE PRACTICES (PART OF ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS) RESULTS IN IMPROVED CAREGIVER WELLBEING AND REDUCED ACUTE CARE UTILIZATION BY PEOPLE WITH AD/ADRD, AND A COMMERCIALLY VIABLE PRODUCT. PHASE II SPECIFIC AIMS INCLUDE: AIM 3: INCORPORATE PHASE I FEASIBILITY FEEDBACK TO COMPLETE THE BUILD OUT OF THE PLATFORM TO ADDRESS ALL 50+ CARE CHALLENGES, AND DEVELOP OUR SOLUTION INTO A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT; AND AIM 4: CONDUCT A TWO-GROUP RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (N=160) TO EVALUATE IF PLANS4CARE IMPROVES DIVERSE CAREGIVERS’ WELLBEING AND REDUCES ACUTE CARE UTILIZATION OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA. THIS AIM WILL FORMALLY PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR THE PLATFORM AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN PRIMARY CARE/ACOS. OUR COMPANY WAS COMPETITIVELY SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NIA HEALTHY AGING START-UP BOOTCAMP. THE COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL OF AN EASY-TO-USE TOOL PROVIDING PERSONALIZED CARE THAT IS INTEGRATED INTO ACOS IS UNIQUE AND DESPERATELY NEEDED IN THE MARKETPLACE.

ACTIVITES4CARE: A DIGITAL PLATFORM TO ENHANCE CAREGIVER WELL-BEING BY PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED ACTIVITIES THAT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA - PROJECT ABSTRACT A CRITICAL UNMET NEED OF >6 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE (AD) AND AD RELATED DEMENTIAS (AD/ADRD) IS THE LACK OF MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES, A COMMON CONCERN OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS. WITH DISEASE PROGRESSION, COGNITIVE AND FUNCTIONAL DECREMENTS FUNDAMENTALLY ALTER A PERSON’S ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WHICH IN TURN RESULTS IN NEGATIVE SEQUELAE INCLUDING BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS, POOR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND INCREASED HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION. IN RESPONSE, PLANS4CARE, INC, A COMPANY DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING DIGITAL SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT CAREGIVERS AND PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA (PLWD), PROPOSES A FAST-TRACK SBIR TO BUILD AND TEST A NEW DIGITAL PLATFORM, ACTIVITIES4CARE. AS PIONEERS IN ACTIVITY PROGRAMS FOR PLWD, OUR TEAM SEEKS TO TRANSFORM DEMENTIA CARE BY BRINGING OUR EVIDENTIARY IN-PERSON PROTOCOLS TO A DIGITAL PLATFORM ACCESSIBLE VIA COMPUTER, TABLET OR SMARTPHONE. OUR PROPOSED PLATFORM WILL PROVIDE CAREGIVERS WITH DETAILED PERSONALIZED, ACTIONABLE INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES THAT OUR SOFTWARE (COMPANY IP) DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTS BASED ON CAREGIVER INPUTS CONCERNING PLWD COGNITIVE/FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES, INTERESTS, AND CARE CONTEXT. THE SPECIFIC AIMS ARE AS FOLLOWS: PHASE I - AIM 1: DEVELOP A CLICKABLE PROTOTYPE MAPPING 5 COMMON ACTIVITIES TO PLWD, CAREGIVER, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS FROM WHICH ACTIONABLE, CUSTOMIZED ACTIVITY PLANS ARE GENERATED. PHASE I - AIM 2: DETERMINE FEASIBILITY (CAREGIVER CAN USE PLATFORM TO IDENTIFY AN ACTIVITY, RESPOND TO BRIEF EVIDENCE-BASED QUESTIONS AND REVIEW THE GENERATED ACTIVITY PLAN); ACCEPTABILITY (APPEAL, APPROPRIATE- NESS); AND USABILITY (ABILITY TO NAVIGATE) USING VALIDATED SURVEY MEASURES WITH 25 DIVERSE CAREGIVERS. PROTOTYPE TESTING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY FOCUS GROUPS WITH THE SAME 25 CAREGIVERS TO OBTAIN QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK AND PREFERENCES FOR MULTI-MEDIA APPROACHES TO DEMONSTRATE BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPLEMENTING ACTIVITIES. AT THE CONCLUSION OF PHASE I, QUANTITATIVE MILESTONES (GO-NO GO) TO TRANSITION TO PHASE II ARE: 1) 25 CAREGIVERS ENROLLED; 2) 75% COMPLETE ASSIGNED TASKS: ONBOARD, IDENTIFY ACTIVITY OF INTEREST, REVIEW AN ACTIVITY PLAN (FEASIBILITY); 3) 75% RATE ACTIVITES4CARE ACCEPTABLE AND 4) 75% RATE NAVIGATION AS EASY (USABILITY). PHASE II - AIM 3: INCORPORATE PHASE I PROTOTYPE TESTING AND QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK TO COMPLETE BUILD-OUT AND INTEGRATION OF THE PLATFORM. THIS AIM WILL FURTHER DEVELOP OUR SOLUTION INTO A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT. PHASE II - AIM 4: CONDUCT A TWO-GROUP RANDOMIZED, WAIT-LIST CONTROLLED TRIAL (N=160) WITH RESEARCH PARTNERS (UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS) TO EVALUATE IF: A) CAREGIVERS USE ACTIVITIES4CARE TO GENERATE ACTIVITY PLANS; B) CAREGIVER CONFIDENCE USING ACTIVITIES IMPROVES, C) CAREGIVERS SAVE TIME; D) CAREGIVER WELL-BEING IMPROVES; AND E) PLWD BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS AND ACUTE CARE UTILIZATION ARE REDUCED. THIS AIM WILL FORMALLY PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR THE BENEFITS OF ACTIVITIES4CARE. CONVENTIONAL DIGITAL PROGRAMS OFFER GENERAL TIPS FOR ACTIVITY USE; OUR SOLUTION CUSTOMIZES ACTIVITY TO ABILITIES, INTERESTS, AND OTHER FACTORS. THE COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL OF AN EASY-TO-USE DIGITAL TOOL FOR CUSTOMIZED ACTIVITIES IS NOVEL AND OFFERS AN EFFECTIVE, SCALABLE SOLUTION TO A CRITICAL UNMET NEED.

OPERATION FULL STEAM IS AN EXPLORATORY OUTREACH PROJECT OF THE CADE MUSEUM DESIGNED TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS FOR UNDERSERVED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA. IT PROVIDES HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, AND MATH (STEAM) FOR STUDENTS AS THEY MOVE FROM SECOND TO FIFTH GRADE IN THREE TITLE I SCHOOLS. THE MUSEUM IS IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ALACHUA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THIS PHASE OF THE PROJECT WILL SEE THE STUDENTS THROUGH 4TH AND 5TH GRADE WHERE STANDARD 5TH GRADE SCIENCE TESTING IN THE SCHOOLS WILL MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM. IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, THE PROJECT AIMS TO CULTIVATE GREATER INTEREST IN STEAM DISCIPLINES AMONG STUDENTS FROM CULTURALLY AND SOCIOECONOMICALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, INSPIRE THE PURSUIT OF FURTHER EDUCATION, AND CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE INNOVATION ECONOMY.

THE CADE MUSEUM FOR CREATIVITY AND INVENTION, IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, WILL HIRE AN ADDITIONAL OUTREACH EDUCATOR AND A PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR TO EXPAND ITS REACH INTO UNDERSERVED RURAL COMMUNITIES USING ITS MOBILE MUSEUM AND LAB. THIS WORK AIMS TO CLOSE MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT GAPS FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY PROVIDING CRITICAL STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS, AND MATH) EXPERIENCES THAT FOSTER CREATIVITY AND DEVELOP AN INVENTIVE MINDSET. THE MUSEUM WILL PARTNER WITH FOUR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ON-SITE STEAM EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN IN EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE MAJORITY OF THESE YOUTH WILL BE FROM TITLE I AND RURAL COMMUNITY SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THE MUSEUM WILL EVALUATE THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS THROUGH BIMONTHLY MEETINGS.