With review and approval by the EMA Ethics Committee and the JHU Joint Committee on Clinical Investigation, over 35 scientific research projects have been initiated at Copper Ridge since the facility opened in 1994. These projects have ranged from large-scale, multi-site clinical trials of new medications for dementia, to case studies of patient bathing techniques, to investigations of end-of-life decision-making, to research on the social worlds of people with dementia in long-term care.
Our research findings have been presented at major national and international meetings, and have been published in prestigious scientific and professional journals. Perhaps the most significant of our accomplishments has been the development and refinement of the Copper Ridge Model of Care© for persons with dementia residing in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and other long-term care settings.
This evidence-based care model is now being emulated at facilities throughout the U.S. and internationally. Since understanding the prevalence and course of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias has been a major goal of the Institute, we have conducted a survey of dementia in assisted living facilities in Maryland, and have investigated the predictors of transitions from living at home to living in an assisted-living facility to living in a nursing home.
Ongoing research is developing methods to better predict the timing of these transitions. We are also committed to gaining knowledge about the human aspects of dementia and old age and are currently engaged in important research on personal interactions (friendships) among residents of Copper Ridge, as well as other person-centered studies.
Research at TCRI has contributed to the development of several innovative assessment instruments for evaluating patients with dementia. These scales including the General Medical Health Rating, the CRI Pain Rating Scale, the Falls Assessment Tool, and the AD Quality of Life Scale allow for the reliable quantification of symptoms and other patient characteristics relevant to care needs and to improved clinical outcomes.
TCRI has been a very active participant in nationwide clinical trials of new medications for the treatment of cognitive impairment and of some of the more troublesome complications of dementia, depression, hallucinations, delusions, sleep disturbance, and aggression. We have also conducted a number of clinical trials of our own, sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and the NIH. Innovative, nonpharmacologic treatments including the use of specific aromas for their potential calming effects and tub-room modifications for reluctant bathers have also been tested.
A large number of other studies ranging from the role of life-long personality on adaptation to the nursing home, to the qualities that make a good nursing assistant, to the use of telemedicine for the evaluation and monitoring of patients in remote locations, to the effects of a novel memory intervention in healthy older adults give the CRI an especially well-rounded research portfolio. Research at TCRI has been funded by competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health, other government agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as by gifts from private foundations and generous individuals.