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Training to enhance adult memory (TEAM): an investigation of the effectiveness of a memory training program with older adults
- Authors:
- FAIRCHILD J. Kaci, SCOGIN F.R.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 14(3), April 2010, pp.364-373.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Prior research examining the effectiveness of memory enhancement programmes targeting both objective and subjective memory has yielded results with varying degrees of success. The current investigation aimed to evaluate an in-home memory enhancement programme for older adults that emphasised the importance of both objective memory ability and subjective beliefs about one’s memory. The participants, 53 community-dwelling older adults, were assigned to either a memory enhancement condition or a minimal social support condition. The memory enhancement participants met with a trainer once a week for 6 weeks, and had 3 training sessions targeting subjective memory which included information on aging, mood and nutrition, and 3 training sessions on mnemonics to target objective memory. The results showed that those in the memory enhancement condition had significant improvement in remembering names with faces and not misplacing household objects. Additionally, those in the memory enhancement condition also reported being more content with their memory, having fewer lapses in memory, greater use of mnemonic strategies, and were less bothered by memory complaints. Regression analyses indicated that neither levels of positive nor negative affect were predictive of participants' objective and subjective memory at post-treatment. The article concludes that these results provide support for the use of memory enhancement programs for older adults.
How to enhance route learning and visuo-spatial working memory in aging: a training for residential care home residents
- Authors:
- MITOLO Micaela, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 21(5), 2017, pp.562-570.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a route-learning training in a group of older adults living in a residential care home. The authors verified the presence of training-specific effects in tasks similar to those trained – route-learning tasks – as well as transfer effects on related cognitive processes – visuo-spatial short-term memory (VSSTM; Corsi Blocks Test (CBT), forward version), visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM; CBT, backward version; Pathway Span Tasks; Jigsaw Puzzle Test) – and in self-report measures. The maintenance of training benefits was examined after 3 months. Method: Thirty 70–90-year-old residential care home residents were randomly assigned to the route-learning training group or to an active control group (involved in non-visuo-spatial activities). Results: The trained group performed better than the control group in the route-learning tasks, retaining this benefit 3 months later. Immediate transfer effects were also seen in visuo-spatial span tasks (i.e., CBT forward and backward version and Pathway Span Task); these benefits had been substantially maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a training on route learning is a promising approach to sustain older adults’ environmental learning and some related abilities (e.g., VSSTM and VSWM), even in residential care home residents. (Edited publisher abstract)
Protecting cognition from aging and Alzheimer's disease: a computerized cognitive training combined with reminiscence therapy
- Authors:
- BARBAN Francesco, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 31(4), 2016, pp.340-348.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the efficacy of process-based cognitive training (pb-CT) combined with reminiscence therapy (RT) in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (mAD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in healthy elderly (HE) subjects. Methods: This multicentre, randomised, controlled trial involved 348 participants with mAD, MCI, and HE from four European countries. Participants were randomly assigned to two arms of a crossover design: those in arm A underwent 3 months of computerised pb-CT for memory and executive functions combined with RT and 3 months of rest; those in arm B underwent the reverse. The primary outcome was the effect of the training on memory and executive functions performance. The secondary outcome was the effect of the training on functional abilities in mAD assessed with the instrumental activities of daily living. Results: The study found a significant effect of the training for memory in all three groups on delayed recall of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and for executive functions in HE on the phonological fluency test. MCI and HE participants maintained these effects at follow-up. MCI and mAD participants also showed a significant effect of the training on the Mini-mental state examination scale. Participants with mAD showed more stable instrumental activities of daily living during the training versus the rest period. Conclusions: The results corroborate the positive effect of pb-CT and its maintenance primarily on memory in HE and MCI participants that did not seem to be potentiated by RT. Moreover, our results are very promising for the mAD participants. (Edited publisher abstract)
Self-help memory training for healthy older adults in a residential care center: specific and transfer effects on performance and beliefs
- Authors:
- CAVALLINI Elena, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(8), 2015, pp.870-880.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of self-help training for healthy older adults in a residential care centre on memory tasks they practiced (associative and object list learning tasks) and any transfer to other tasks (grocery lists, face–name learning, figure–word pairing, word lists, and text learning). Transfer effects on everyday life (using a problem-solving task) and on participants' beliefs regarding their memory (efficacy and control) were also examined. With the aid of a manual, the training adopted a learner-oriented approach that directly encouraged learners to generalize strategic behaviour to new tasks. The maintenance of any training benefits was assessed after 6 months. Method: The study involved 34 residential care centre residents (aged 70–99 years old) with no cognitive impairments who were randomly assigned to two programmes: the experimental group followed the self-help training program, whereas the active control group was involved in general cognitive stimulation activities. Results: Training benefits emerged in the trained group for the tasks that were practiced. Transfer effects were found in memory and everyday problem-solving tasks and on memory beliefs. The effects of training were generally maintained in both practiced and unpracticed memory tasks. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that learner-oriented self-help training enhances memory performance and memory beliefs, in the short term at least, even in residential care centre residents. (Edited publisher abstract)
City memories: reminiscence as creative therapy
- Author:
- JOYCE Chris
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing, 6(4), December 2005, pp.34-41.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
- Place of publication:
- Brighton
This article describes and evaluates a recent innovative project in Liverpool involving a major national museums group in partnership with the housing action trust. 'City Memories' created opportunities for older people to take part in reminiscence activities at the museums and in a large extra care housing setting in the community. Training was provided for community leaders, care home managers and care workers in order to help them apply some of their ideas to their own work. The project looked at outcomes for older people who participated in terms of increased stimulus and sense of well-being, with a special focus on those with conditions such as stroke and dementia.
Remembrance days
- Author:
- FRANCIS Joy
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 22.10.92, 1992, pp.16-17.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Looks at the work of some SSDs who are training staff in reminiscence work to improve their services for elderly people.
Sporting memories, dementia care and training staff in care homes
- Authors:
- CLARK Michael, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 12(1), 2017, pp.55-66.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings from a pilot and a follow-on study in which care assistants in care homes were trained to use sporting memories work to better help and engage with residents with dementia and low mood. Care homes have to support increasingly more fragile people and often the range of activities in the homes do not offer the best engagement between residents and staff to benefit the residents. This is for reasons of time to run activities in a busy home, and because of the need to find financially viable means of running a range of activities. Care assistants in care homes are a group of non-professionally educated workers and are often overlooked for training beyond basic health and safety training to help them improve their work and the care they provide. This work sought to explore whether sporting memories work was viable as an activity to offer in care homes via the training of care assistants. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses the evidence from a pilot and then follow-on project in care homes in one city area. In the pilot observation was made of a training session and follow up interviews were undertaken with care home managers to see how the implementation of sporting memories was going. In the follow-on project the support to those undertaking the training was modified to include three learning network sessions. Data were collected on the experience of participants and their use of sporting memories work. Findings: The findings were that care assistants could be trained in using sporting memories work and they often found it easy to use and fulfilling for them and people they cared for. This was despite the care assistants who participated often not having much interest in sports and little experience in this kind of work. However, practical barriers to maintaining the use of sporting memories work did remain. Research limitations/implications: The evidence to date is of case studies of training staff in care homes in the use of sporting memories work, which provides good grounding for proof of the concept and key issues, but further research is needed on the costs and impacts of sporting memories work in care homes. The lack of direct feedback about experiences of care home residents of sporting memories work and its impact on them is a further limitation. Practical implications: Sporting memories work is a flexible and readily adoptable intervention to engage older people in care homes and the evidence to date is that care assistants in care homes can be trained to use this approach to engaging older people. Practical challenges still remain to using sporting memories work in care homes, notably the issue of time for staff to do the work, but it is an approach for care homes to have available to them to match up to the interests of residents. Social implications: Sporting memories work can be an important part of meeting some of the challenges society faces with an ageing population profile and to enhancing the care home environment and care assistants can be trained to use the approach. Originality/value: This is the first paper to discuss training care home staff in the use of sporting memories work. (Publisher abstract)
Resident-Assisted Montessori Programming (RAMP): training persons with dementia to serve as group activity leaders
- Authors:
- CAMP Cameron J., SKRAJNER Michael J.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 44(3), June 2004, pp.426-471.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an activity implemented by means of Resident-Assisted Montessori Programming (RAMP). Four persons with early-stage dementia were trained to serve as leaders for a small-group activity played by nine persons with more advanced dementia. Assessments of leaders' ability to learn the procedures of leading a group, as well as their satisfaction with this role, were taken, as were measures of players' engagement and affect during standard activities programming and RAMP activities. Leaders demonstrated the potential to fill the role of group activity leader effectively, and they expressed a high level of satisfaction with this role. Players' levels of positive engagement and pleasure during the RAMP activity were higher than during standard group activities. This study suggests that to the extent that procedural learning is available to persons with early-stage dementia, especially when they are assisted with external cueing, these individuals can successfully fill the role of volunteers when working with persons with more advanced dementia. This can provide a meaningful social role for leaders and increase access to high quality activities programming for large numbers of persons with dementia.
The reminiscence skills training handbook
- Author:
- RAINBOW Ann
- Publisher:
- Speechmark
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 180p.,tables.
- Place of publication:
- Bicester
This book provides background on reminiscence as well as training activities for professional and family carers and volunteers. The guide provides an accessible workbook for reminiscence skills training. With extensive information on reminiscence together with associated training activities, it is also aimed at trainers who wish to learn how to promote good practice in reminiscence work.
Effects of smartphone-based memory training for older adults with subjective memory complaints: a randomized controlled trial
- Authors:
- OH Seo Jin, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(4), 2018, pp.526-534.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: This study explored whether newly developed application (Smartphone-based brain Anti-aging and memory Reinforcement Training, SMART) improved memory performance in older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC). Method: A total of 53 adults (range: 50-68 years; 52.8% female) were randomised into either one of two intervention groups [SMART (n = 18) vs. Fit Brains® (n = 19)] or a wait-list group (n = 16). Participants in the intervention groups underwent 15-20 minutes of training per day, five days per week for 8 weeks. The study used objective cognitive measures to evaluate changes with respect to four domains: attention, memory, working memory (WM), and response inhibition. In addition, self-report questionnaires were used to assess levels of SMC, depression, and anxiety. Results: Total WM quotient [t(17) = 6.27, p < .001] as well as auditory-verbal WM score [t(17) = 4.45, p < .001] increased significantly in the SMART group but not in the control groups. Self-reports of memory contentment, however, increased in the Fit Brains® group only [t(18) = 2.12, p < .05). Conclusion: Use of an 8-week smartphone-based memory training program may improve WM function in older adults. However, objective improvement in performance does not necessarily lead to decreased SMC. (Edited publisher abstract)