Category: Dementia – Meaningful Activity

This study describes the development of the Music Engagement Questionnaire (MusEQ), a 35-item scale to measure engagement with music in daily life. Music has implications for well-being and for therapy, notably for individuals living with dementia. A number of excellent scales or questionnaires are now available to measure music engagement. Unlike these scales, the MusEQ may be completed by either the participant or an informant.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) that arises in some older adults limits independence and decreases quality of life. Cognitive stimulation programs delivered by professional therapists have been shown to help maintain cognitive abilities, but the costs of such programming are prohibitive. The present study explored the feasibility and efficacy of using long-term care homes’ volunteers to administer a cognitive stimulation program to residents.Methods: Thirty-six resident participants and 16 volunteers were alternately assigned to one of two parallel groups: a control group (CG) or stimulation group (SG). For eight weeks, three times each week, CG participants met for standard “friendly visits” (casual conversation between a resident and volunteer) and SG participants met to work through a variety of exercises to stimulate residents’ reasoning, attention, and memory abilities. Resident participants were pre- and post-tested using the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-Second Edition, Test of Memory, and Learning-Senior Edition, a modified Letter Sorting test (LS), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Action Word Verbal Fluency Test.Results: Two-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for dementia diagnosis indicated statistically greater improvements in the stimulation participants than in the control participants in Immediate Verbal Memory and Verbal Fluency.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

The aim of this randomized controlled study is to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of music therapy (MT) on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with dementia in an acute psychiatric inpatient setting. Participants were patients over the age of 50 years with an ICD-10 diagnosis of dementia admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric unit within a large academic hospital in Ontario, Canada. The results seem to contradict current evidence showing the benefit of MT for those with BPSD in nursing home settings. The lack of benefit of MT in this study could be related to the more severely affected sample. Participants were probably unable to meaningfully engage in the intervention.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

Objectives: Dementia is a progressive condition, affecting increasing numbers of people, characterised by cognitive decline. The current systematic review aimed to evaluate research pertaining to the impact of arts and health interventions on cognition in people with dementia. The review highlighted this as an emerging area of research with the literature consisting largely of small-scale studies with methodological limitations including lack of control groups and often poorly defined samples. All the studies suggested, however, that arts-based activities had a positive impact on cognitive processes, in particular on attention, stimulation of memories, enhanced communication and engagement with creative activities. Conclusion: The existent literature suggests that arts activities are helpful interventions within dementia care. A consensus has yet to emerge, however, about the direction for future research including the challenge of measurement and the importance of methodological flexibility. It is suggested that further research address some of these limitations by examining whether the impact of interventions vary depending on cognitive ability and to continue to assess how arts interventions can be of use across the stages of dementia.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

Background: A variety of group activities is promoted for nursing home (NH) residents with dementia with the aim to reduce apathy and to increase engagement and social interaction. Investigating behaviors related to these outcomes could produce insights into how the activities work. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate behaviors seen in people with dementia during group activity with the seal robot Paro, differences in behaviors related to severity of dementia, and to explore changes in behaviors. Methods: Thirty participants from five NHs formed groups of five to six participants at each NH. Group sessions with Paro lasted for 30 minutes twice a week during 12 weeks of intervention. Video recordings were conducted in the second and tenth week. An ethogram, containing 18 accurately defined and described behaviors, mapped the participants’ behaviors. Duration of behaviors, such as “Observing Paro,” “Conversation with Paro on the lap,” “Smile/laughter toward other participants,” were converted to percentage of total session time and analyzed statistically. Results: “Observing Paro” was observed more often in participants with mild to moderate dementia, while the variable “Observing other things” occurred more in the group of severe dementia. “Smile/laughter toward other participants” showed an increase, and “Conversations with Paro on the lap” showed a decrease during the intervention period. Conclusions: Participants with severe dementia seemed to have difficulty in maintaining attention toward Paro during the group session. In the group as a whole, Paro seemed to be a mediator for increased social interactions and created engagement.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

Objective Although available evidence is modest, exercise could be beneficial in reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. We aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a dyadic exercise regimen for individuals with dementia and their main carer as therapy for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Results Mean intervention cost was 284 per dyad. For the subsample of 52 dyads, the intervention group had significantly higher mean cost from a societal perspective (mean difference 2728.60, p = 0.05), but costs were not significantly different from a health and social care perspective. The exercise intervention was more cost-effective than treatment as usual from both societal and health and social care perspectives for the measure of behavioural and psychological symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory). It does not appear cost-effective in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life year gain. Conclusions The exercise intervention has the potential to be seen as cost-effective when considering behavioural and psychological symptoms but did not appear cost-effective when considering quality-adjusted life year gains.

Cost-effectiveness of exercise as a therapy for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia within the EVIDEM-E randomised controlled trial (Follow this link if you have an Athens password). Alternatively contact the UHSM Academy Library for a copy of the article or call 0161 291 5778)

Exercise may lead to improvements on functional ability, physical function, and neuropsychiatric symptoms (particularly depression) in people with dementia (PWD). However, high-quality randomised controlled trial (RCT), controlling for the socialisation aspect of group-based exercise interventions, and designed to delay the declines on the functional ability of PWD in the nursing home (NH) setting is almost inexistent. This article describes the protocol of the LEDEN study, an exercise RCT for PWD living in NHs.
LEDEN is a cluster-randomised controlled pilot trial composed of two research arms: exercise training (experimental group) and social/recreational activity (control group). Both interventions will be provided twice a week, for 60min, during the 6-month intervention. The total duration of the study is 12months, being six months of intervention plus six months of observational follow-up. Eight French NHs volunteered to participate in LEDEN; they have been randomised to either exercise intervention or social/recreational intervention in a 1:1 ratio.
The primary objective is to investigate the effects of exercise, compared to a social/recreational intervention, on the ability of PWD living in NHs to perform activities of daily living (ADL). Secondary objectives are related with the cost-effectiveness of the interventions, and the effects of the interventions on patients’ physical function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, pain, nutritional status, and the incidence of falls and fractures.
LEDEN will provide the preliminary evidence needed to inform the development of larger and more complex interventions using exercise or non-exercise social interventions.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

The aim of this study is to develop and try out an approach for personalized nature activities for people with dementia. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study using focus group interviews with people with dementia was conducted. Based on the results of the focus groups and the relevant literature, the approach was developed. In a qualitative descriptive pilot study with a one-group design, we tried out the approach regarding acceptability and experience of the intervention among people with dementia, and satisfaction with the approach among healthcare professionals. Additionally, we investigated the organizational feasibility. Results: From the focus groups, eight key aspects of experiencing nature were identified as being important for quality of life (e.g. relaxation, freedom), as well as six categories of preferred activities (e.g. active, passive, and social activities). Based on these themes and categories, an approach was developed to design nature activities according to the personal wishes, needs, and experiences of people with dementia. During the intervention, participants in the pilot study showed high levels of positive behaviors and low levels of negative behaviors. As regards, organizational feasibility, eight themes for successful implementation of nature activities were identified. Conclusions: This exploratory study contributes to the knowledge regarding the development and implementation of person-centered nature activities for people with dementia. The implementation of the activities could be improved by training professionals in person-centered care. The effect of the person-centered nature activities approach should be investigated.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

Engagement in meaningful activities is associated with positive outcomes for persons with dementia, yet studies demonstrating quantitative evidence for which activities can be considered meaningful are lacking. We investigated MemPics™, a program designed to promote meaningful activity for individuals with dementia through engagement and cognitive stimulation. It was compared with other recreation activities offered in U.S. long-term care facilities to determine whether MemPics™ was rated as having more meaningful activity from both the perspectives of participants and recreation staff.
Long-term care residents with mild to moderate dementia that met eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to an activity group (treatment, control). Participants completed 2 sessions of either the experimental or control group activity with facility recreation staff. Both participants and staff rated each activity in terms of meaningfulness following each session.
Of the enrolled participants study analyses were based on the 94 participants who completed the activity sessions. Compared to the control group activities, MemPics™ had significantly higher participant and staff ratings of meaningfulness. Scores between the 2 rater types were significantly different, with staff reporting higher meaningful activity than participants. Further support for MemPics™ was found in exit survey responses from participating staff.
We discuss the merits and shortcoming of this study, the utility of MemPics™ for providing meaningful engagement in long-term care residents with mild to moderate dementia, and ideas for future research.

The Academy Library does not currently subscribe to the journal that this article appears in, however we can most likely request it from another library. Please contact the UHSM Academy Library for more detail or call 0161 291 5778.

A nurse-led intervention, Daily Engagement of Meaningful Activities (DEMA), was evaluated for feasibility and effect sizes in a two-group randomized pilot study with 36 patient–caregiver dyads (17 DEMA and 19 attention control). Effect sizes were estimated on 10 outcomes: dyad functional ability awareness congruence; patients’ meaningful activity performance and satisfaction, confidence, depressive symptoms, communication satisfaction, physical function, and life satisfaction; and caregivers’ depressive symptoms and life changes. High feasibility of DEMA was supported by the following indicators: consent (97.7%), session completion (91.7%), and Time 3 measure completion (97.2%). Compared to the attention control group, the DEMA group had higher dyad congruence in functional ability awareness and life satisfaction 3 months post-intervention and improved physical function at 2 weeks post-intervention.

Feasibility and effect sizes of the revised daily engagement of meaningful activities intervention for individuals with mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers (Follow this link if you have an Athens password). Alternatively contact the UHSM Academy Library for a copy of the article or call 0161 291 5778)