None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
People with dementia, their carers and families will be supported to identify services that meet their individual need and provide them greater control and choice. This will help ensure that these services/supports include opportunities for people with dementia full access to ‘life activities’ such as employment and recreation. Support will also focus on providing family members and/or carers the ability to actively participate in society and not be disadvantaged by their caring role. Active participation may mean continuing to work, attend school, university and receiving appropriate support in these environments. Staff providing support to people with dementia and their carers/families will be provided with: adequate resources and autonomy, capped case loads, access to appropriate emotional support, and an assistant and volunteer staff to assist with the identification/creation of services/activities and where appropriate the provision of support.
Interventions
Intervention
Group A participants will be from Group A cluster sites and will have access to the “Support for Life” intervention from year 1. An highly experienced dementia support worker will provide a holistic, highly flexible, individualised approach to support people with cognitive impairment or dementia and their families and or carers. .Support will be relationship-centred (responding to individual needs) and focused on enablement as opposed to dysfunction. Education about dementia and in
Intervention Group A participants will be from Group A cluster sites and will have access to the “Support for Life” intervention from year 1. An highly experienced dementia support worker will provide a holistic, highly flexible, individualised approach to support people with cognitive impairment or dementia and their families and or carers. .Support will be relationship-centred (responding to individual needs) and focused on enablement as opposed to dysfunction. Education about dementia and information/resources will be provided to participants as well as advocacy and practical support to navigate dementia services and healthcare with an aim to also enhance continuity of care. Additionally, the dementia support worker will also provide psychological support and facilitate participants continued participation in their community and social engagement. The mode of support will consist of a combination of face to face, telephone and internet. interaction on an as needs basis for a duration of 12 months. The dementia support worker will deliver the intervention in the participants home or at mutually suitable locations as required/requested. (Group A).
Sponsors
The University of Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Criteria for inclusion will include consumers who are experiencing memory problems, cognitive decline or who have a diagnosis of dementia and are willing to provide written, informed consent to participate in the study. Consumers who are unable to self-manage but who have a carer will not be excluded from the study. Carers and family members of a person who is experiencing memory problems, cognitive decline or dementia and are willing to provide written, informed consent are also eligible for participation in the study.
Exclusion criteria
The exclusion criteria includes consumers who are unable to self-manage and do not have a carer and consumers/clients or family members who are already receiving a support intervention, or have acute psychosis.
Outcome results
None listed