Lessons Learned in Recruitment, Training, and Retention in a Pre-Loss Grief Support Intervention

Participant recruitment in dementia caregiver research is recognized as challenging. This article details the strategies, barriers, and successes of a recruitment approach of a clinical intervention trial for family caregivers of persons living with dementia. Throughout the study, we dealt with challenges both within and outside the researchers' control. These challenges included institutional barriers, community barriers, and individual barriers. To maximize our chances for success, we focused on building strong relationships between the research team and the participants. Using social workers as recruiters, maintaining frequent contact with participants, and flexibility in managing challenges promoted modest success in recruitment and retention.