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Background and Objectives Arts activities can improve social connectedness and foster reciprocity between people living with dementia and their caregivers. The extent to which the arts can help shape attitudes towards dementia remains unclear. This paper explores the impact of a 12-week visual arts program "Dementia and Imagination" on the attitudes of family and professional caregivers through a mixed-methods longitudinal investigation, underpinned by a conceptual framework of the arts in dementia care. Research Design and Methods One hundred and forty-six family and professional caregivers were recruited across three settings in England and Wales (residential care homes, a county hospital, and community venues). Quantitative and qualitative data on caregivers' attitudes and perceptions of the impact of the arts program were collected through interviews at three time points. Results Thematic analysis identified four themes shared across the caregivers: (1) Recognizing capabilities , (2) Social connectedness , (3) Improvements to well-being , and (4) Equality and personhood. Two further themes were distinct to family caregivers: (5) Duration of the effects of the art program , and (6) Enriched perspective. The final theme Inspiring professional development was distinct to the professional caregivers. The quantitative analysis found no effect for caregivers' attitude change over time. Family caregivers scored significantly lower than professional caregivers at each of the three time points. Discussion and Implications Art programs have the potential to make visible the capabilities of the people living with dementia, enabling caregivers to see the person behind the condition. This study highlights practice implications for future implementation, such as the role of the arts in dementia care education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate peer support and reminiscence therapy, separately and together, in comparison with usual care for people with dementia and their family carers.Design: Factorial pragmatic randomised trial, analysed by treatment allocated, was used for this study.Setting: The trial ran in Community settings in England.Participants: People with dementia and their family carers were the participants.Interventions: Treatment as usual (TAU) plus one of the following: one-to-one peer support to family carers from experienced carers (Carer Supporter Programme; CSP), group reminiscence therapy (Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today; RYCT) for people with dementia and carers, both or neither.Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcomes included health-related quality of life (SF-12) for carers and quality of life (QoL-AD) for people with dementia; secondary outcomes included quality of relationship for carers and people with dementia; both were collected by blinded assessors at baseline, 5 and 12 months (primary end point).Results: Of 291 pairs recruited, we randomised 145 (50%) to CSP (71% uptake) and 194 (67%) to RYCT (61% uptake). CSP and RYCT, separately or together, were not effective in improving primary outcomes or most secondary outcomes. For CSP versus 'no CSP', adjusted difference in means was 0.52 points on the SF-12 (95% CI -1.28 to 2.32) and -0.08 points on the QoL-AD (95% CI -1.70 to 1.56). For RYCT versus 'no RYCT', the difference was 0.10 points on the SF-12 (95% CI -1.72 to 1.93) and 0.51 points on the QoL-AD (95% CI -1.17 to 2.08). However, carers reported better relationships with the people with dementia (difference 1.11, 95% CI 0.00 to 2.21, p=0.05). Comparison of combined intervention with TAU, and of intervention received, suggested differential impacts for carers and persons with dementia.Conclusions: There is no evidence from the trial that either peer support or reminiscence is effective in improving the quality of life.Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN37956201; Results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer support interventions can improve carer wellbeing and interventions that engage both the carer and person with dementia can have significant mutual benefits. Existing research has been criticised for inadequate rigour of design or reporting. This paper describes the protocol for a complex trial that evaluates one-to-one peer support and a group reminiscence programme, both separately and together, in a factorial design.Design: A 2 × 2 factorial multi-site randomised controlled trial of individual peer support and group reminiscence interventions for family carers and people with dementia in community settings in England, addressing both effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.Discussion: The methods described in this protocol have implications for research into psychosocial interventions, particularly complex interventions seeking to test both individual and group approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTBackground:Research reviews highlight methodological limitations and gaps in the evidence base for the arts in dementia care. In response, we developed a 12-week visual art program and evaluated the impact on people living with dementia through a mixed-methods longitudinal investigation., Methods: One hundred and twenty-five people living with mild to severe dementia were recruited across three research settings in England and Wales (residential care homes, a county hospital, and community venues). Quantitative and qualitative data on quality of life (QoL), communication and perceptions of the program were obtained through interviews and self-reports with participants and their carers. Eight domains of well-being were measured using a standardized observation tool, and data compared to an alternative activity with no art., Results: Across all sites, scores for the well-being domains of interest, attention, pleasure, self-esteem, negative affect, and sadness were significantly better in the art program than the alternative condition. Proxy-reported QoL significantly improved between baseline and 3-month follow-up, but no improvements in QoL were reported by the participants with dementia. This was contrasted by their qualitative accounts, which described a stimulating experience important for social connectedness, well-being, and inner-strength. Communication deteriorated between baseline and follow-up in the hospital setting, but improved in the residential care setting., Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential for creative aging within dementia care, the benefits of art activities and the influence of the environment. We encourage dementia care providers and arts and cultural services to work toward embedding art activities within routine care provision.

Background: Few reports have been published about differences in perspectives on perceived needs among community-residing people with dementia, their family caregivers, and professionals. The aim of this study was to compare these perspectives., Method: During 2006 and 2007, one-hundred and fifty two interviews of people with dementia and their caregivers about the needs of the person with dementia were performed by four professionals using The Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE). Professionals' views on met and unmet needs of people with dementia were obtained for the total sample, family caregivers' perspectives were gained for 125 people with dementia, and people with dementia's views on their own needs were obtained for 125 persons with dementia., Results: People with dementia reported fewer needs compared with the reports of their caregivers and the professionals. The most frequent unmet needs reported by people with dementia, caregivers and professionals were in the areas of daytime activities, company, and psychological distress; however, people with dementia rated psychological distress as the commonest unmet need., Conclusions: Since the priorities of people with dementia can be different from those of caregivers and professionals, it is important to consider all perspectives when making care plans. Thus, compliance with treatment of people with dementia and also their quality of life could be potentially improved by a more collaborative partnership with them.

Background: Older people with dementia living in residential care have complex unmet needs and decreased quality of life., Aim: To reduce unmet needs in older people with dementia in residential care compared to a 'care as usual' control group., Method: A single blind, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial recruited 238 people aged 60+ with dementia living in 24 residential homes from three areas. Unmet needs were measured using the Camberwell Assessment of Needs for the Elderly (CANE) and quality of life using the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QoL-AD). Homes were randomised to the control (care as usual) or the intervention group 1 hour per week liaison input per home to deliver a personalised intervention package over a 20 weeks to meet the unmet needs., Results: A single blind follow-up included 192 (81%) available participants. At follow-up the total number of unmet needs was reduced in both the intervention and control groups, but analysing the groups by clusters there were no significant differences in either unmet needs or quality of life., Conclusions: The unmet needs of people with dementia can be identified using the CANE. The CANE assessment may have led to unmet needs being reduced at follow up, but the liaison intervention did not significantly reduce total unmet needs relative to the control group. Unmet needs such as sensory problems, mobility, drugs, and psychological distress were especially reduced in the intervention group at follow up., (Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: People with dementia often move into care homes as their needs become too complex or expensive for them to remain in their own homes. Little is known about how well their needs are met within care homes., Method: The aim of this study was to identify the unmet needs of people with dementia in care and the characteristics associated with high levels of needs. Two hundred and thirty-eight people with dementia were recruited from residential care homes nationally. Needs were identified using the Camberwell Assessment of Needs for the Elderly (CANE)., Results: Residents with dementia had a mean of 4.4 (SD 2.6) unmet and 12.1 (SD 2.6) met needs. Environmental and physical health needs were usually met. However, sensory or physical disability (including mobility problems and incontinence) needs, mental health needs, and social needs, such as company and daytime activities, were often unmet. Unmet needs were associated with psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, but not with severity of dementia or level of dependency., Conclusion: Mental health services and residential home staff need to be aware that many needs remain unmet and much can be done to improve the quality of life of the residents with dementia., (Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)