Could you use some additional support as you care for someone with dementia?


Interested? Contact Thi Vu at Yale University, our research partner, by email thi.vu@yale.edu or phone 203-441-0769 to learn more and find out if you are eligible. Must be 18 or over and caring for someone with dementia.

Dr. Gabriele Oettingen, creator of WOOP, says
WOOP can help dementia caregivers.

John, a dementia caregiver, finds WOOP valuable
for himself and his wife Mary as they live with her Alzheimer’s.

“WOOP blew me away. It was a gift from the universe. I swear, this has been so helpful for me.”

— John, Caregiver for Mary, his wife with Alzheimer’s disease

About WOOP for Dementia Caregivers

Wish Outcome Obstacle Plan (WOOP) is four-step mental strategy to increase motivation and change habits, created by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen and available to the general public through www.woopmylife.org. Each letter stands for a step: wish>outcome>obstacle>plan. WOOP has been rigorously researched over 20+ years, translated into multiple languages, and used effectively in more than 100 countries to change behavior across areas including health, education, career achievement, and interpersonal relationships. Dementia caregivers using WOOP reported reduced depressive symptoms and stress and increased well-being and quality of life in a 2022 study conducted by Yale University researcher Dr. Joan Monin and team. However, a tailored, scalable way for dementia caregivers to learn WOOP is not yet available. That’s where WOOP for Dementia Caregivers comes in.

WOOP for Dementia Caregivers teaches the WOOP technique to groups of dementia caregivers online to help them fulfill wishes they set for themselves. The online platform and teaching methods are being developed by gerontology education company Borrow My Glasses and tested in a research study to examine whether they are feasible and effective. Study participants can earn up to $100 to 1) join a small supportive WOOP Group to learn and practice WOOP over three weeks with other dementia caregivers and a facilitator, 2) access online tools, resources, and a members-only discussion board, and 3) share opinions about their experience through periodic surveys and a focus group or interview.

WOOP for Dementia Caregivers is a project of gerontology education company Borrow My Glasses collaborating with Yale University, WOOP developer Dr. Gabriele Oettingen, dementia caregivers, and a Community Advisory Board of professionals and caregiving experts. WOOP for Dementia Caregivers is supported by the National Institute On Aging (#R41AG084405). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Yes! Once WOOP becomes a habit, it’s proven to work. Wishes can be about caregiving, self-care, or any wish that’s challenging, achievable, and dear to your heart. WOOP helps you identify ways to overcome internal obstacles within your control to fulfill your wishes. WOOP can also clarify when to refocus energy on more achievable wishes.

About the project

Principal Investigator
Donna Fedus, M.A.
Gerontologist & Founder
Borrow My Glasses, LLC
(203) 318-8100
donna@borrowmyglasses.com

About the research

Yale Principal Investigator
Dr. Joan Monin
Yale University School
of Public Health
(203) 785-2895
joan.monin@yale.edu

About your rights
in the study
or complaints

Yale Institutional
Review Boards
(203) 785-4688
hrpp@yale.edu