None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Reading is an important leisure activity with multiple health benefits, and the elderly are known to spend more time reading than any other age group. People living with dementia may find book reading difficult to access and enjoy. This study asks whether participating in a shared reading group, using dementia-friendly books, at an aged care facility provides psychosocial benefits. This single-blinded, randomized controlled trial tests the hypothesis that participation in a book club for fourteen sessions improves quality of life (as measured by Resident QoL –AD, self and proxy). Secondary outcome measures are effects on thriving (TOPAS, self and proxy), Theory of Mind (Adapted RMET), cognition (ACE-III), mood (GDS), and behaviour (NPI). The control participants will engage in activities as usual at the facility. The study will include participants with moderate dementia and their family carer.
Interventions
Dementia-friendly book clubs within residential aged care facility (RACF).
In week 1, all participants (intervention and control) will receive the baseline evaluation, and the intervention will begin. The Assessor will be blinded to treatment allocation, and will be either a Psychiatry Registrar or a Psychiatrist. Baseline evaluation includes the following measures: Quality of Life (Resident QoL-AD self-report and proxy); "Thriving"(how well the individual has adjusted to life at the RACF (TOPAS
Dementia-friendly book clubs within residential aged care facility (RACF). In week 1, all participants (intervention and control) will receive the baseline evaluation, and the intervention will begin. The Assessor will be blinded to treatment allocation, and will be either a Psychiatry Registrar or a Psychiatrist. Baseline evaluation includes the following measures: Quality of Life (Resident QoL-AD self-report and proxy); "Thriving"(how well the individual has adjusted to life at the RACF (TOPAS and TOPAS-proxy) ; Theory of Mind via the Eyes/Faces Test (EFT); Assessment of Cognitive Function (ACE-III); depression (GDS-SF); and any changes in behaviour (NPI). During weeks 2 – 8, facility staff will conduct the book clubs (2/week, 45 mins each), and patient carers will provide support to the patients to encourage them to read the books between meetings, attend and participate in the book clubs. Selected parts of the book will be read and discussed at each session. The goal is not to improve memory, but rather to engage the participates and allow them to appreciate the tale and the language. The book club sessions are therefore not dependent on the participants having read the book beforehand, nor on them remembering anything about the book. All participants with dementia will have their own books to read. The books are dementia-friendly books, written by the researchers (Drs Rimkeit and Claridge, see www.dovetalepress.com) after initial research. One book will be read each week. The book clubs will involve reading these books, and discussing them with the participants. Only the participants with dementia will attend the book clubs. In week 9, the final assessment, a repeat of the baseline assessment for all participants (intervention and control), will be done, again by a blinded assessor who is either a Psychiatrist or a Psychiatry Registrar. Frequency of attendance at the book clubs will be noted for each participant by the book club facilitator.
Sponsors
University of Otago
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Medical diagnosis of dementia living in a rest home or hospital level care adequate communication skills as measured on the InterRAI No problems with verbal or physical abuse, No socially disruptive behaviour provide consent score between 36 and 82 on the Addenbrooks at baseline
Exclusion criteria
co-morbidity which would preclude them from participating for 7 weeks
Outcome results
None listed