The author, novelist and co-founder of John's Campaign, describes the transformative role of the creative arts in dementia care. The author describes how, when verbal ability goes, creative arts such as song, dance, poetry and painting can connect people with dementia to the outside world. Evidence points to the power of arts to enable health and wellbeing and suggest they can help save money
(Original abstract)
The author, novelist and co-founder of John's Campaign, describes the transformative role of the creative arts in dementia care. The author describes how, when verbal ability goes, creative arts such as song, dance, poetry and painting can connect people with dementia to the outside world. Evidence points to the power of arts to enable health and wellbeing and suggest they can help save money in the health service and social care.
(Original abstract)
Journal of Public Mental Health, 14(1), 2015, pp.8-17.
Publisher:
Emerald
...in current and future older populations.
Social implications: Better understanding of brain ageing and the dementia syndrome will improve investment decisions for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.
Originality/value: Building on the work of JPND and the Alzheimer Society is the first study of the scope and limitations of current cohorts in Europe. It is designed to help researchers and policy
(Publisher abstract)
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to scope potential and gaps in European cohort studies with focus on brain ageing and neurodegeneration.
Design/methodology/approach: Combined and augmented two scoping exercises conducted for European Union Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND) and the Alzheimer Society UK.
Findings: In total, 106 cohorts initially identified with a further 52 found on second sweep. Strengths include gender balance, diversity of measures and much detail on health and health behaviours, and lifecourse representation. Major gaps identified were the oldest old, non-Caucasians, people in Eastern Europe, migrant populations, rural residents and people in long-term care. Quality of life, psychosocial and environmental factors were limited. Relatively few cohorts are population representative. Analytical methods for combining studies and longitudinal analysis require careful consideration.
Research limitations/implications: European studies and published information only.
Practical implications: Collaboration across disciplines and studies, greater dissemination of methods and findings will improve knowledge about cognitive and functional decline in current and future older populations.
Social implications: Better understanding of brain ageing and the dementia syndrome will improve investment decisions for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.
Originality/value: Building on the work of JPND and the Alzheimer Society is the first study of the scope and limitations of current cohorts in Europe. It is designed to help researchers and policy makers in their planning.
(Publisher abstract)
Journal of Dementia Care, 19(1), January 2011, pp.33-36.
Publisher:
Hawker
Qigong is an ancient Chinese exercise system for health, based on the principles of movement with intent, mindfulness, balance, relaxation and self-awareness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical and psychological effects of a series of Qigong classes for a small group of people with dementia. The participants were members of the Aberdeen Alzheimer Scotland group who volunteered
Qigong is an ancient Chinese exercise system for health, based on the principles of movement with intent, mindfulness, balance, relaxation and self-awareness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical and psychological effects of a series of Qigong classes for a small group of people with dementia. The participants were members of the Aberdeen Alzheimer Scotland group who volunteered for the study. Five participants completed the 9 week programme. The study was evaluated using: the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST); measurement of participants’ pulse and blood pressure pre and post exercise; and the participants’ own accounts of their personal experience. The findings of the study indicate that the programme can help maintain and improve bi-lateral co-ordination, proprioception, concentration, spatial awareness and skilled movement. It was also noted that the 5 participants showed an enhanced sense of self-awareness, confidence, relaxation and social skills.
Ageing and Society, 21(1), January 2001, pp.95-116.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Health services research has been dominated by the biomedical model and positivism, and the funding cultures of biomedicine have dictated the choice of method used by researchers. Social science models, however, have been recognised as increasingly important and both quantitative and qualitative methods are accepted as appropriate. Older people with dementia have often been excluded...
Health services research has been dominated by the biomedical model and positivism, and the funding cultures of biomedicine have dictated the choice of method used by researchers. Social science models, however, have been recognised as increasingly important and both quantitative and qualitative methods are accepted as appropriate. Older people with dementia have often been excluded or marginalised in studies about dementia because of traditional assumptions about the ability or appropriateness of people with dementia to act as participants or respondents. Argues that theory-driven pluralistic approaches to research method will facilitate participation of people with dementia in research.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(3), 2015, pp.234-246.
Publisher:
Wiley
Objective: This paper aims to identify the major modifiable risk factors for dementia as a first step in developing an effective preventive strategy and promoting healthy late life cognitive functioning.
Methods: A mixed-method approach combined findings from a systematic literature review and a Delphi consensus study. The literature search was conducted in PubMed and updated an earlier review...
(Edited publisher abstract)
Objective: This paper aims to identify the major modifiable risk factors for dementia as a first step in developing an effective preventive strategy and promoting healthy late life cognitive functioning.
Methods: A mixed-method approach combined findings from a systematic literature review and a Delphi consensus study. The literature search was conducted in PubMed and updated an earlier review by the United States National Institutes of Health from 2010. Available evidence from observational epidemiological studies was reviewed. The online Delphi study asked eight international experts to rank and weigh each risk factor for its importance for dementia prevention.
Results: Out of 3127 abstracts, 291 were included in the review. There was good agreement between modifiable risk factors identified in the literature review and risk factors named spontaneously by experts. After triangulation of both methods and re-weighting by experts, strongest support was found for depression, (midlife) hypertension, physical inactivity, diabetes, (midlife) obesity, hyperlipidemia, and smoking, while more research is needed for coronary heart disease, renal dysfunction, diet, and cognitive activity.
Conclusions: Findings provide good support for several somatic and lifestyle factors and will be used to inform the design of a new multicentre trial into dementia prevention.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
dementia, risk, public health, health, depression;
Objectives: This systematic review aims to explore the role of self-efficacy (SE) in the health-related quality of life (QoL) of family carers of people with dementia.
Results: Twenty-two studies met the full inclusion criteria, these included 17 quantitative, four qualitative, and one mixed-method study. Search terms related to caring, SE, and dementia. Narrative synthesis was adopted
(Edited publisher abstract)
Objectives: This systematic review aims to explore the role of self-efficacy (SE) in the health-related quality of life (QoL) of family carers of people with dementia.
Results: Twenty-two studies met the full inclusion criteria, these included 17 quantitative, four qualitative, and one mixed-method study. Search terms related to caring, SE, and dementia. Narrative synthesis was adopted to synthesise the findings .A model describing the role of task/domain-specific SE beliefs in family carer health-related QoL was constructed. This model was informed by review findings and discussed in the context of existing conceptual models of carer adaptation and empirical research. Review findings offer support for the application of the SE theory to caring and for the two-factor view of carer appraisals and well-being. Findings do not support the independence of the negative and positive pathways. The review was valuable in highlighting methodological challenges confronting this area of research, particularly the conceptualisation and measurement issues surrounding both SE and health-related QoL.
Conclusions: The model might have theoretical implications in guiding future research and advancing theoretical models of caring. It might also have clinical implications in facilitating the development of carer support services aimed at improving SE. The review highlights the need for future research, particularly longitudinal research, and further exploration of domain/task-specific SE beliefs, the influence of carer characteristics, and other mediating/moderating variables.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
quality of life, carers, dementia, health, models;
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22(7), July 2007, pp.649-655.
Publisher:
Wiley
To collect new primary data on community-based health utilities (time trade-off values) in different stages of mild cognitive impairment and dementia from a general population sample. A cross-sectional study including 1,800 randomly selected members of the Swedish public aged 45-84 was performed through a postal survey; 42% response rate. The Clinical Dementia Rating scale was used for describing...
To collect new primary data on community-based health utilities (time trade-off values) in different stages of mild cognitive impairment and dementia from a general population sample. A cross-sectional study including 1,800 randomly selected members of the Swedish public aged 45-84 was performed through a postal survey; 42% response rate. The Clinical Dementia Rating scale was used for describing progressive stages of dementia in vignettes that were used in combination with time trade-off questions for valuing the perceived quality of life in these stages. The time-trade off values varied considerably across the progressive disease stages. The mean score was 0.82 for mild cognitive impairment, 0.62 for mild dementia, 0.40 for moderate dementia, and 0.25 for severe dementia. In multiple regression analyses, the scores were relatively insensitive to demographic factors like age, gender and self-assessed health. The results showed that the average time trade-off values declined sharply from mild cognitive impairment to progressing stages of dementia. Since there are many methodological challenges involved in measuring health state utilities in mild cognitive impairment and dementia, more research that evaluates different methods would be welcome.
Subject terms:
quality of life, assessment, cognitive impairment, dementia, health;
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(1), January 2001, pp.1061-1070.
Publisher:
Wiley
...with dementia.
Health related quality of life scales have been developed to measure a global picture of health and well-being from the patient's perspective. Examines the validity and acceptability of two health status measures the 12-item Health Status Questionnaire (HSQ-12) and 12-item Short Form Health Survey SF-12, and presents population norms in older people. Uses a door-to-door survey in Islington, a borough of inner London. The first 135 people who completed the HSQ-12 were visited approximately 18 months later. Data was collected on health and social care, and subjective health problems. Results found the SF-12 and HSQ-12 were acceptable and valid as health status instruments in large community-based studies of older people. The HSQ-12, but not the SF-12, was acceptable and valid for people with dementia.
Subject terms:
older people, quality of life, dementia, depression, health;