iSupport : a WHO global online intervention for informal caregivers of people with dementia

In 2015, it was estimated that worldwide 47 million people had dementia, increasing to 75 million in 2030 and 132 million by 2050. Nearly 9.9 million people are expected to develop dementia each year, which translates to one new case every three seconds. While dementia occurs across all levels of socioeconomic status, nearly 60% of people with dementia currently live in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) and most new cases (71%) are expected to occur in those countries. The majority of people with dementia in those countries do not have access to care and support

Nursing home care for people with dementia and residents' quality of life, quality of care and staff well-being: Design of the Living Arrangements for people with Dementia (LAD) - study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is limited information available on how characteristics of the organization of nursing home care and especially group living home care and staff ratio contribute to care staff well being, quality of care and residents' quality of life. Furthermore, it is unknown what the consequences of the increasingly small scale organization of care are for the amount of care staff required in 2030 when there will be much more older people with dementia.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This manuscript describes the design of the 'Living Arrangements for people with Dementia study' (LAD-study). The aim of this study is to include living arrangements from every part of this spectrum, ranging from large scale nursing homes to small group living homes. The LAD-study exists of quantitative and qualitative research. Primary outcomes of the quantitative study are wellbeing of care staff, quality of care and quality of life of residents. Furthermore, data concerning staff ratio and characteristics of the living arrangements such as group living home care characteristics are assessed. To get more in-depth insight into the barriers and facilitators in living arrangements for people with dementia to provide good care, focus groups and Dementia Care Mapping are carried out.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Results of this study are important for policymakers, directors and staff of living arrangements providing nursing home care to people with dementia and essential for the development of methods to improve quality of care, residents' and staff well-being. Data collection will be repeated every two years, to generate knowledge on the results of changing policies in this field.</p

Use and impact of the Alzheimer Experience: a free online media production to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate an online media production called ‘the Alzheimer Experience’ (AlzExp), which was developed to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia. Method: Before and after watching AlzExp, all visitors of AlzExp (February–June 2012) were asked to complete questionnaires on demographics, knowledge about dementia, attitude towards people with dementia (person-centeredness) and the use of AlzExp. McNemar's chi-squared test, multivariate linear regression analysis and paired t-tests were used to analyze change in knowledge, predictors for change in person-centered attitude and differences between subgroups in change in person-centered attitude. Results: Participants in this study (n = 213) were mostly professionals and working with people with dementia, or had someone with dementia among their acquaintances. An increase of person-centered attitude between pre- and posttest was predicted by age, having a professional or personal relationship with someone with dementia, person-centeredness at pre-test and time spent in AlzExp. Professionals had a more person-centered attitude after watching AlzExp, as did younger people, those who spent more time in AlzExp and those who had a lower score at pre-test. Conclusion: The beneficial impact of AlzExp found in this study was modest and in particular present for people who deal with people with dementia (professionally or personally). More insight is needed in the effects of tools aimed at raising public awareness and enhancing knowledge and understanding of dementia to tackle stigmatization associated with dementia and, thereby, improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers

Use and impact of the Alzheimer Experience:a free online media production to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate an online media production called ‘the Alzheimer Experience’ (AlzExp), which was developed to raise public awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia. Method: Before and after watching AlzExp, all visitors of AlzExp (February–June 2012) were asked to complete questionnaires on demographics, knowledge about dementia, attitude towards people with dementia (person-centeredness) and the use of AlzExp. McNemar's chi-squared test, multivariate linear regression analysis and paired t-tests were used to analyze change in knowledge, predictors for change in person-centered attitude and differences between subgroups in change in person-centered attitude. Results: Participants in this study (n = 213) were mostly professionals and working with people with dementia, or had someone with dementia among their acquaintances. An increase of person-centered attitude between pre- and posttest was predicted by age, having a professional or personal relationship with someone with dementia, person-centeredness at pre-test and time spent in AlzExp. Professionals had a more person-centered attitude after watching AlzExp, as did younger people, those who spent more time in AlzExp and those who had a lower score at pre-test. Conclusion: The beneficial impact of AlzExp found in this study was modest and in particular present for people who deal with people with dementia (professionally or personally). More insight is needed in the effects of tools aimed at raising public awareness and enhancing knowledge and understanding of dementia to tackle stigmatization associated with dementia and, thereby, improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their caregivers

A virtual reality intervention to improve the understanding and empathy for people with dementia in informal caregivers:results of a pilot study

Objective: Informal caregivers often experience psychological distress due to the changing functioning of the person with dementia they care for. Improved understanding of the person with dementia reduces psychological distress. To enhance understanding and empathy in caregivers, an innovative technology virtual reality intervention Through the D'mentia Lens (TDL) was developed to experience dementia, consisting of a virtual reality simulation movie and e-course. A pilot study of TDL was conducted. Methods: A pre-test–post-test design was used. Informal caregivers filled out questionnaires assessing person-centeredness, empathy, perceived pressure from informal care, perceived competence and quality of the relationship. At post-test, additional questions about TDL's feasibility were asked. Results: Thirty-five caregivers completed the pre-test and post-test. Most participants were satisfied with TDL and stated that TDL gave more insight in the perception of the person with dementia. The simulation movie was graded 8.03 out of 10 and the e-course 7.66. Participants significantly improved in empathy, confidence in caring for the person with dementia, and positive interactions with the person with dementia. Conclusion: TDL is feasible for informal caregivers and seems to lead to understanding of and insight in the experience of people with dementia. Therefore, TDL could support informal caregivers in their caregiving role

Involvement, worries and loneliness of family caregivers of people with dementia during the COVID-19 visitor ban in long-term care facilities

To prevent COVID-19 from spreading in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), the Dutch government took restrictive measures, including a visitor-ban in LTCFs. This study examined the relationship between involvement of family caregivers (FCs) of people with dementia (PwD) living in LTCFs and FCs mental health during the visitor-ban, and whether this relationship was moderated by the frequency of alternative contact with PwD during the visitor-ban and FC resilience. This cross-sectional study collected data from 958 FCs. FCs who visited PwD more frequently before, were more worried during the visitor-ban than those with lower visiting frequency. FCs who visited the PwD daily before, but had minimal weekly contact during the visitor-ban, worried less. Resilient FCs who did social and task-related activities before, experienced less loneliness during the visitor-ban. It is advisable for healthcare professionals to reach out to these groups, to facilitate ongoing contact and help them overcome their loneliness.</p

The Physical Environment of Nursing Homes for People with Dementia: Traditional Nursing Homes, Small-Scale Living Facilities, and Green Care Farms

It is well recognized that the physical environment is important for the well-being of people with dementia. This influences developments within the nursing home care sector where there is an increasing interest in supporting person-centered care by using the physical environment. Innovations in nursing home design often focus on small-scale and homelike care environments. This study investigated: (1) the physical environment of different types of nursing homes, comparing traditional nursing homes with small-scale living facilities and green care farms; and (2) how the physical environment was being used in practice in terms of the location, engagement and social interaction of residents. Two observational studies were carried out. Results indicate that the physical environment of small-scale living facilities for people with dementia has the potential to be beneficial for resident&#8217;s daily life. However, having a potentially beneficial physical environment did not automatically lead to an optimal use of this environment, as some areas of a nursing home (e.g., outdoor areas) were not utilized. This study emphasizes the importance of nursing staff that provides residents with meaningful activities and stimulates residents to be active and use the physical environment to its full extent