Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39450575›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2025

Whether and how to store firearms in the home: Qualitative insights from care partner experiences in the Safety in Dementia Trial.

Christopher E Knoepke, Kayla Meza, Jennifer D Portz, Megan L Ranney, Stacy M Fisher, Faris Omeragic, Emily Greenway, Mirella Castaneda, Daniel D Matlock, Marian E Betz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Christopher E KnoepkeFirearm Injury Prevention Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Kayla MezaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Jennifer D PortzDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Megan L RanneyYale University School of Pubic Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Stacy M FisherDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Faris OmeragicDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Emily GreenwayDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Mirella CastanedaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Daniel D MatlockAdult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Marian E BetzFirearm Injury Prevention Initiative, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Funding

"Safety in Dementia": An Online Caregiver Intervention.R01AG076364 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI BETZ, MARIAN ELIZABETH · 2021 to 2021
$1.7M
Decision Support for Older and Frail Patients Considering Advanced Cardiovascular Therapies: Improving Models of Personal Values ClarificationK23HL153892 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI KNOEPKE, CHRISTOPHER · 2020 to 2024
$824k
NHLBI NIH HHS K23 HL153892NHLBI NIH HHS K23HL153892NIA NIH HHS R01 AG076364NIA NIH HHS R01 AG076364-01
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost people with dementia (PWD) in the United States live in community settings supported by family and/or unpaid care partners. Firearms access is one of many decisions care partners navigate alongside PWD in efforts to prevent injuries and deaths. Conversations about firearms access are socially challenging, although specific challenges to be overcome have not been described.

methodsAs part of the larger Safety in Dementia Trial, we interviewed care partners about their views and experiences regarding firearms access in the home where the PWD resides. Interviewees were English-speaking adults (≥18 years) in the United States who are unpaid care partners of community-dwelling PWD. Responses to interview discussions related to (1) a desire for safety, and (2) fear of firearm violence was analyzed using a focusing process to categorize views into essential themes.

resultsFifty care partners, who were primarily female (58%), White (66%), adult children (56%), and living in the same household (64%), participated in interviews between February 2023-February 2024. Dominant themes emerging from the focusing technique included (1) firearms as a necessary component of home safety; (2) fear of accidental/impulsive firearm violence; (3) observed risk and "near misses"; and (4) differing views on home firearms as a source of conflict. Thematic descriptions did not differ according to care partner's relationship to the PWD (adult child, spouse, other).

conclusionsConsidering whether and how to alter access to firearms where PWD reside can be difficult for care partners to navigate. Care partners expressed a desire to limit firearms access, but worried both about creating conflict with the PWD and the self-defense implications of making firearms inaccessible. Findings were similar across subsets of care partners indicating that standardized tools and messaging to care partners may be effective in promoting safety in homes with PWD.

Indexed as

CaregiversDementiaFirearmsAdultAgedFearFemaleHumansIndependent LivingMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSafetyUnited StatesAlzheimer'scare partnerdementiafirearmviolence

Identifiers

PMID39450575
PMCPMC11826032

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.