This preliminary trial focused on adjusting a program that involves family or unpaid caregivers in collaborating with healthcare professionals to deliver support aimed at preserving or boosting daily physical abilities in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related forms of dementia. As far as we are aware, this marks the initial documentation of applying this program to individuals affected by these conditions. Over a period of five months, we carried out a mixed-methods follow-up study involving a selected group of healthcare providers, unpaid caregivers, and care recipients at three sites offering Medicaid-funded in-home and community services in Michigan. The program was refined by two specialists in the field along with five caregivers. We provided instruction to 116 providers on how to involve caregivers effectively and educated 50 caregivers on supporting the delivery of the revised program to 52 individuals living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Data evaluation involved qualitative theme identification, summary statistics, comparative proportions, t-tests, and McNemar’s tests to review participant characteristics, provider learning and contentment with instruction and program application, caregiver confidence, program practicality, appeal, ease of use, overall contentment, and changes in care recipient status (before and after). The revised program showed strong practicality (participation rates ranging from 78.5–86.7%), appeal (ratings 7.55–8.35 [SD 1.50–2.06]), and ease of use (ratings 7.85–8.81 [SD 1.50–2.6]) based on a 1-to-10 scale where higher scores indicate better outcomes. Provider understanding remained consistently strong before and after (scores 12.33 to 12.28, SD 1.80–2.84; difference -0.52, SD 1.95). Caregiver confidence showed a notable rise (gain of 0.81 [SD 0.62], p < 0.01). No meaningful changes—either positive or negative—were detected in care recipient measures (p > 0.05). Incorporating unpaid caregivers to work alongside healthcare providers in administering a program customized for people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias proved practical, appealing, and easy to implement. Larger-scale evaluation involving more diverse groups with dementia across different environments is recommended.
