Family caregiving research | The Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis

Family caregiving research

Researchers seek best practices, methods to support caregivers.

Family Caregiving Institute at UC Davis hosts research priorities summit
Please select DCR for the component.

Researchers at the Family Caregiving Institute at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing strive to support the millions of individuals who provide care to aging family members or friends. Through research for best practices and methods to assist this invisible workforce, experts elevate the role of these caregivers within the larger health care system. Explore the features below to learn more about our research.

  • Research priorities in caregiving

    Shortly after the Family Caregiving Institute launched, leaders convened more than 50 caregiving experts at a research summit to identify, define and map out the institute’s research priorities. These priorities now guide the institute’s research agenda.

    Read and watch more about our priorities
  • Current research projects

    From maintaining a repository of tools for caregiver researchers to studying disparities in advanced illness care, current research at the Family Caregiving Institute seeks to find best practices to support a growing number of family caregivers throughout the U.S.

    Learn more about our current research
  • Evaluation projects

    Many caregiving programs are provided by service agencies, which lack the funding and expertise to conduct evidence-based research that determines the effectiveness of their interventions. The institute’s program and policy evaluation unit, led by Heather M. Young and Janice Bell, bring decades of research expertise to the table. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, they assist agencies in understanding what in their organization works, what does not work and what the implications are for practice and policy.

    Explore more about evaluation work
  • The state of California's caregivers

    Family caregivers in California who receive services from a network of support organizations are at higher risk of physical and mental health concerns, including isolation and loneliness. But a unique online tool can better tailor assistance and gather important data to help.

    Read about the new tool
  • Meet our research team

    Family Caregiving Institute faculty represent diversity across various fields of expertise, research and personal experience. Together, they work to include the family caregiver as an essential member of a person’s care team, training them to perform tasks traditionally performed by clinicians and providing tools to support the basic needs of caring for someone in the home.

    Learn more about faculty research
  • Dementia caregiving Vietnamese personal experiences shed insight on caregiving

    Shortly after the Family Caregiving Institute launched, leaders convened more than 50 caregiving experts at a research summit to identify, define and map out the institute’s research priorities. These priorities now guide the institute’s research agenda.

    Read about Oanh Meyer's research
  • A community for better dementia care

    1.7 million caregivers assist someone with dementia. Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing researchers partner with Adult Day Services statewide in a new pilot to create a learning community to develop best practices for these programs and improve resources for agencies that deliver this kind of service.

    Read about their research