Families and LTC Projects: �2025 in Review

Joe Gaugler, PhD

Annual Overview

• Reviewing our mission
• Fit and organization
• Celebrating our accomplishments!
• Where are we going next?

Mission

• The mission of The Families and Long-Term Care (LTC) Projects is to build systems and solutions that empower and improve the quality of life of persons with memory loss and their families across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic contexts.

FAMILIES AND LTC PROJECTS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

December 2025

Joseph E. Gaugler, PhD

RLK Endowed Chair in LTC & Aging, Principal Investigator

Undergraduate/Other Research Assistants

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Robyn Birkeland, PhD

Study Interventionist, Center Coordinator

Graduate Research Assistants

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Ashley Millenbah, MPH

Project Coordinator

Post-Docs

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Elma Johnson, MPH

Center Coordinator

Elle Albers, MPH

Project Coordinator, Data Analyst

Formal supervisory relationship shown by solid lines; Informal oversight shown by maroon dotted lines; delegation shown by gold dotted lines.

Katie Louwagie, DNP, Project Specialist

Allison Iwan, BS

Center Coordinator

What Have We Accomplished in the Past Year? �Grant Submissions

• Listing of currently funded FLTC Projects: https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/projects/ltc/research/
• Gaugler PI/MPI: Funded in 2025
• Rural Health Innovation Pilot / Omcare-Lanesboro Evaluation
• Gaugler Co-I/Core Lead: Funded in 2025
• Gaugler Lead of Implementation Core
• NIA AD/ADRD Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory (U54AG063546)
• Under Review
• Community Engaged Rural Dementia and Alzheimer's Research (CERDAR) (Gaugler: Co-I) (NIH/NIA P01)
• A National Comparative Effectiveness Analysis of Two Dementia Care Interventions in Communities (Gaugler: PI) (PCORI)
• Meeting Caregivers Where They Are: Evaluating Two Scalable Support Interventions for Dementia Care (Gaugler: Co-I) (PCORI)
• Artificial Intelligence Collaboratory for Human-centered Aging and Memory (ANCHOR-MN) (Gaugler: MPI) (NIH/NIA P30)

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Team Publications (Peer Reviewed)

1. Jutkowitz, E., Beshaw, Y. D., Rodgers, N., Epstein-Lubow, G., Gaugler, J. E., & Roberts, L. C. (in press). The characteristics of sites delivering the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
2. Griffin, J.M., Bangerter, L.R., Kim, K., Lapid, M., Finnie, D., Gaugler, J.E., Batthyany, A., Frangiosa, T., Gilmore-Bykovskyi, A. (in press). Lucid episodes in people with advanced dementia: Characterizing caregiver reports to advance definition and measurement of episodes. The Gerontologist.
3. Jutkowitz, E., Pizzi, L. T., Shewmaker, P., Alarid-Escudero, F., Epstein-Lubow, G., Gaugler, J. E., & Gitlin, L. N. [ePub ahead of print]. The cost of non-drug interventions that improve function and reduce dementia-related behaviors. BMC Geriatrics. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06532-1.
4. Miller, M.J., Hudson, E., Wisdom, J.P., Woodward-Abel, A.B., Hoffman, R.M., Fink, H.A., Gaugler, J.E., Hagedorn, H.J., & Gustavson, A.M. [ePub ahead of print]. Post-hospitalization telerehabilitation is acceptable and feasible for Veterans with dementia: A secondary qualitative study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2025.
5. Gaugler, J. E., Johnson, E., Epstein-Lubow, G., Parker, L., Epps, F., & Millenbah, A. [ePub ahead of print]. Building a public health infrastructure to support family caregivers of people with dementia. The Gerontologist. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf223.
6. Miller, M.J., Hudson, E., Wisdom, J.P., Woodward-Abel, A.B., Hoffman, R.M., Fink, H.A., Gaugler, J.E., Hagedorn, H.J., & Gustavson, A.M. [ePub ahead of print]. Post-hospitalization telerehabilitation is acceptable and feasible for Veterans with dementia: A secondary qualitative study. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2025.105916.
7. Bailey, D., & Gaugler, J. E. [ePub ahead of print]. Gentrification and aging: A narrative review. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. doi: 10.1080/01634372.2025.2525272.
8. Parker, L., Nkimbeng, M., Rincongallardo, A., Marx, K., Johnson, E., Koeuth, S., Gaugler, J. E., & Gitlin, L. [ePub ahead of print]. “But then they don’t use the same money to give us services”: Attitudes and perspectives on dementia care community-based research in Hispanic communities. Journal of Applied Gerontology. doi: 10.1177/07334648251331719.
9. Cotton, Q., Birkeland, R., Bailey, D., Gidey, S., Kim, K., Lapid, M. I., Bangerter, L. R., Liu, Y., Finnie, D. M., & Gaugler, J. E. (2025). She asked if she had dementia: Caregivers’ insights on lucidity in late stages of dementia and its impact. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging, 1, e70049. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/bsa3.70049.
10. Pizzi, L. T., Prioli, K. M., Molinari, L., Jukowitz, E., Marx, K. A., Roth, D. L., Gaugler, J. E., & Gitlin, L. N. (2025). Toward a payment model for augmenting adult day services (ADS) with caregiver support: Costs, willingness, and ability to pay for the ADS Plus Program. Innovation in Aging, 9, igaf089. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaf089.

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Team Publications (Peer Reviewed Continued)

11. Urbanski, D.P., Birkeland, R.W., Albers, E.A., Roth, D.L., Baker, Z.G., Gustavson, A.M., Yam, H., & Gaugler, J.E. (2025). Process evaluation of the Residential Care Transition Module. BMC Health Services Research, 25, 1412. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-13547-2.
12. Gitlin, L. N., Marx, K. B., Roth, D. L., Anderson, K., Dabelko-Schoeny, H., Scerpella, D., Parker, L. J., Koeuth, S., & Gaugler, J. E. (2025). Fidelity matters: Implementing an evidence-based program, ADS Plus, in multiple adult day service sites. Innovation in Aging, 9;igaf074. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf074
13. Wilson, M., Birkeland, R. W., Albers, E., Louwagie, K. W., Chesak, S. S., Ratner, E., Finn, J., Ostenso, S., & Gaugler, J. E. (2025). The Traumatic Brain Injury Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Caregiver Support Intervention: A mixed methods evaluation of program feasibility, acceptability, and utility. Innovation in Aging. 9:igaf057. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaf057.
14. Johnson, E., Lewis, M., Nordyke, A., Lee, M., Roberts, S., Gaugler, J. E., & Borson, S. (2025). Community health workers: Developing roles in public health dementia efforts in the United States. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1616404. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1616404.
15. Hepburn, K., Gaugler, J., Roberto, K., Van Houtven, C., Choula, R., Resendez, J., & Thomas, C. (2025). Support for care partners and caregivers: 2023 Summit Session 5. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21, e70389. doi: 10.1002/alz.70389.
16. Kim, K., Bangerter, L. R., Liu, Y., Finnie, D. M., Lapid, M. I., Gaugler, J. E., & Griffin, J. M. (2025). Spouse and child caregivers' experiences of lucid episodes in dementia: A mixed methods approach. Innovation in Aging, 9, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf036.
17. Gustavson, A.M., Hudson, E.M., Wisdom, J.P., Woodward-Abel, A.B., Hoffman, R., Miller, M.J., Fink, H.A., Gaugler, J.E., & Hagedorn, H.J. (2025). Identifying patient, care partner and clinician needs for functional recovery following hospitalization when dementia is present. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 26, 105534. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2025.105534.
18. Urbanski, D. P., Johnson, E. B., Frazier, R., Almiron, M., Chapman, S., Kefene, T., Keinan, A., Thomas, P., Gaugler, J. E., & Shippee, T. P. (2025). Developing a community advisory board to combat ageism: Process and preliminary outcomes. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 46, 99-114. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2024.244706.
19. Cotton, Q. D., Bailey, B., Albers, E., Ingvalson, S., Bloomquist, E., Marx, K., Anderson, K., Dabelko-Schoeny, H., Parker, L., Gitlin, L. N., & Gaugler, J. E. (2025). Understanding the implementation process of the Adult Day Services Plus program. BMC Geriatrics, 25, 95. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-05757-4.

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Team Publications (Chapter, Others)

1. Cotton, Q. D., Peterson, C. M., Baker, Z. G., & Gaugler, J. E. (2025). The application of mixed methods in designing and advancing interventions. In L. N. Gitlin & S. J. Czaja (eds). Handbook of intervention science: From design to implementation (pp. 401-424). Academic Press.
2. Vranceanu, A. M., Kronish, I. M., Plys, E., Syme, M., Yu, F., & Gaugler, J. E. (2025). The NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Interventions in Aging: Development, maturation, impact and opportunities for advancement. The Gerontologist, 65(7):gnaf123. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf123.
3. The Alzheimer’s Association. 2025 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. (2025). Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21, e70235. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70235. (also available at: https://www.alz.org/getmedia/ef8f48f9-ad36-48ea-87f9-b74034635c1e/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf; Dr. Gaugler was responsible for the Caregiving section).

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Team-Based Scientific Presentations

1. Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). GSA Journals Panel with the Editors-in-Chief: Recent Trends, Developments, and Opportunities. Panel participant, Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
2. Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). Discussant of the symposium, “From East to West: Effects of respite care models for long-term care,” The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
3. Gaugler, J. E. (October, 2025). Description, Intervention, Implementation, and Community: A Perspective on Dementia Care Science. Leaders in Aging Research presentation, Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
4. Gaugler, J. E. (2025). Supporting discrete caregiver behaviors. Research Centers Collaborative Network Workshop: AI and Health Behaviors for Healthy Aging (virtual).
5. Gaugler, J. E. (June, 2025). Risk factors for cognitive decline among dementia caregivers. Panel participant. Joint BOLD Public Health Centers of Excellence on Risk Reduction and Dementia Caregiving webinar.
6. Gaugler, J. E. (May, 2025). Evaluating carer support interventions: International perspectives. Panel participant. Carer Knowledge Exchange Research Incubator 2025: Connecting Carer Research to Practice to Improve Outcomes for Carers (virtual).
7. Gaugler, J. E. (April, 2025). How to advance behavior change in the real world: Potential challenges & controversies. Panel moderator. The Roybal Centers for Translational Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences of Aging Annual Meeting, Bethesda, MD.
8. Gaugler, J. E. (April, 2025). Integrating risk reduction, early detection, and caregiving into public health practice. Panel discussion with Shelby Roberts and Soo Borson, The Healthy Brain Initiative Summit for Public Health Action, Chicago, IL.
9. Gaugler, J. E. (April, 2025). Dementia care as a public health priority and opportunity. Bettye Rose Connell Memorial Lecture, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

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Team-Based Scientific Presentations

• Gaugler, J. E. (December, 2025). Research perspectives on respite. Presented at National Dementia Care Collaborative meeting (virtual).
• Gaugler, J. E. (December, 2025). Achieving implementation success in dementia care: Considering mechanisms. Presented at the Roybal Coordinating Center monthly, meeting (virtual).
• Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). Moving beyond and reversing the science-to-practice pipeline: The Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation. Presented at the Minnesota Area Geriatrics Inspired Clinicians (MAGIC) annual conference, St. Paul, MN.
• Gaugler, J. E. (September, 2025). The next caregiving challenge: Exploring assisted living placement of a person living with dementia. Panel participant, Emory Roybal Center for Dementia Caregiving Master and EMBRACE AD/ADRD Roybal Center (virtual).
• Gaugler, J. E. (September, 2025). K Scholar panel participant. University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota (virtual).
• Gaugler, J. E. (June, 2025). Keys to sustainability: Acting on findings. Center for Dementia Respite Innovation webinar (virtual).
• Gaugler, J. E. (June, 2025). Data and evidence-based practices (panelist)/Supporting caregivers of those with dementia (panel moderator). State Caregiving Learning Collaborative Meeting, National Academy for State Health Policy, Washington, DC.
• Gaugler, J. E. (March, 2025). Building a public health infrastructure to support family caregivers of people with dementia: The BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving. Innovations in Aging Conference/Oklahoma Dementia Care Network (virtual).
• Hobday, A., Iwan, A., Gaugler, J.E., Albers, E. (2025, August 13-14). Evaluation of the Minnesota-based expanded home and respite care program for individuals living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers: Baseline data. Poster presented at the ALS Nexus Conference, Dallas, TX. 

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Team-Based Scientific Presentations

• Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). Supporting state innovation in Alzheimer's research. Presented as part of the symposium, "Presidential Symposium: Looking Over the Horizon: States as the Laboratory for Policy Innovations," The Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
• Roberts, S., Gaugler, J. E., Chodosh, J., Borson, S., & Lewis, M. D. (November, 2025). Advancing public health infrastructure for dementia through the Public Health Centers of Excellence. Paper presented at The Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
• Urbanski, D., Wolff, A., Nkimbeng, M., Mroz, E. L., Quiñones-Cordero, M. M., Cotton, Q. D., Sainz, M., & Gaugler, J. E., (November, 2025). The Advanced Behavioral Intervention Design in Dementia Care Training Program: Insights and outcomes. Presented as part of the symposium "Early Career Training Career Experiences and Insights in Dementia Care Science," The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
• Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). Early career training career experiences and insights in dementia care science. Symposium Chair, The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
• Savard, G. M., Birkeland, R., Hobday, A., Ingvalson, S., Gitlin, L. N., Pepin, R., Cigliana, J., & Gaugler, J. E., (November, 2025). Thematic analysis of Home Alone: An intervention for older adults living alone with memory impairment. Poster presented at The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
• Nkimbeng, M., Aswani, T., Russell, W., Shippee, T. P., & Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). Community dissemination of a community-engaged research project: Approaches and lessons learned. Presented as part of the symposium, "Evaluation and Dissemination Strategies for Community-Engaged Research," The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
• Nkimbeng, M., Aswani, T., Russell, W., Shippee, T. P., & Gaugler, J. E. (November, 2025). Partnering with the community to develop and pilot test a culturally tailored dementia education program. Presented as part of the symposium, "Adapting, Implementing, and Evaluating Community-Based Dementia Education for Diverse Populations," The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
• Gaugler, J. E., & Allemann, A. (November, 2025). The cutting edge of gerontological scholarship: The Gerontologist's Editor's Choice symposium. Symposium Chair, The Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Boston, MA.
• Gaugler, J. E. (July, 2025). Achieving dissemination and implementation success in dementia care: A consideration of methodological strategies. Presented at Alzheimer's Association International Conference, Toronto, Canada.
• Gaugler, J. E. (July, 2025). Non-pharmacological trials for dementia. Design and Data Analytics PIA Day. Alzheimer's Association International Conference, Toronto, Canada.

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Families and LTC Projects Community Outreach

• Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair Events
• 2,747 individuals
• GWEP + Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation Events
• 571 individuals

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3,318 Individuals Reached

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What Does the Future Look Like for the FLTC Team?

• Planned Grant Submissions and Team Members
• PHCOE-DC renewal early 2026 (?)
• CarFreeMe R01: February 2026
• T32: May 2026
• R25: May 2026
• Possible Home Alone R01 (10/2026)

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What Does the Future Look Like for the FLTC Team?

• Much depends on the future of NIH and NIA
• New faculty member in aging in SPH: Eric Jutkowitz, PhD
• RLK Post-Docs: 1 to 3, 2026
• Possible new CHAI Coordinator: Research

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What Does the Future Look Like for the FLTC Team?

• Planned Manuscript Submissions: 2026
• DoD Phase II
• Home Alone Phase II
• Porchlight Project protocol paper
• Book idea
• Likely others
• Setting up data infrastructure for secondary analyses
• ADS Plus

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What Does the Future Look Like for FLTC Team?

• Presentations/Conferences
• Continue robust showing at GSA 2026 if resources allow
• IAGG
• Possibly ASA or other practice conferences
• CDRI
• StARS
• PHCOE-DC (?)

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What Does the Future Look Like for FLTC Team?

• Financial Outlook: LTC Chair
• Strong footing
• Supervisory Development
• Employee Engagement Survey discussion

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THANK YOU FLTC TEAM!

https://www.sph.umn.edu/research/projects/ltc/

© 2017 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity �educator and employer. This material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to 612-624-6669.