From research to real-world action plans for dementia care
Plans4Care translates decades of clinical research into personalized action plans tailored to each person’s abilities and care situation.
Built through large-scale studies and NIH-funded research, the platform applies proven, non-drug strategies to the real challenges caregivers face every day.
Most dementia care approaches never reach professionals or families in a way that is practical, accessible, or tailored for the right moment in real-life situations.
We have identified effective ways to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Decades of research for non-drug strategies for dementia care.
The Plans4Care approach is supported by extensive research involving thousands of individuals living with dementia.
This work includes large-scale studies, clinical collaborations, and multiple federally funded research programs focused on evaluating real-world care strategies.
Participants
Caregivers and individuals included across prior studies
NIH Grants
Multiple federally supported research programs and 50+ papers
Contributors
Clinical researchers and collaborators
Key study findings supporting Plans4Care
Caregivers experience less stress and improved confidence
Multiple NIA-funded trials show caregivers experience less stress, reduced burden, improved confidence, and better well being through structured, non-drug strategies.
Greater independence, engagement, and 60% of patients spent more time at home
Participants with dementia demonstrated greater independence, engagement, and reduced behavioral symptoms when care was tailored to daily functioning.
$1,000–$6,000+ in total healthcare savings per dyad
Including reductions in emergency visits, nursing home use, and hospitalizations (up to 120–300% decreases in certain costs).
Digital delivery is feasible and well-received
Early Plans4Care usability studies show 80% caregiver satisfaction and full task completion, validating the scalability of digital non-drug care planning.
Is a co-founder and CEO of Plans4Care, Inc. and an Associate Professor in the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and his work focuses on designing, evaluating, and implementing programs and policies that support people who need long-term care and their caregivers. In 2022, he co-founded Plans4Care with the goal of scaling access to evidence-based dementia care to reach beyond the walls of the university.
Laura N. Gitlin, PhD, FGSA, FAAN, an intervention scientist, is Dean Emerita and Distinguished University Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University. Gitlin is nationally and internationally recognized for her research on developing, evaluating, and implementing novel home- and community-based interventions that improve quality of life of older adults and their family caregivers, enhance daily function of older adults with functional challenges, and address mental health disparities. She is a well-funded researcher, having received continuous research and training grants from federal agencies and private foundations for over 35 years.
Cathy Piersol is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Piersol has been an occupational therapist for 40 years. As a practitioner, educator, and researcher, she is dedicated to the implementation of person-environment approaches that promote activity engagement and quality of life for elders and caregivers. Her work centers on optimizing performance and participation in people living with dementia and building skills in those who provide care and support. In addition, Dr. Piersol’s work focuses on translating research to practice and ensuring fidelity of evidence-based interventions.
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