One social hour a week can help someone with dementia

Just a slight increase in social interaction benefits older adults with dementia and lowers health care costs, a new British study suggests.

"People with dementia who are living in [nursing] homes are among the most vulnerable in our society," said study leader Clive Ballard. He's a professor at the University of Exeter Medical School in England.

"Our outcomes show that good staff training and just one hour a week of social interaction significantly improves quality of life for a group of people who can often be forgotten by society," Ballard said in a university news release.

The study included more than 800 dementia patients living in 69 nursing homes in the U.K. Two staff members at each home were trained to engage in simple social activities with the patients. This included talking to them about their interests and decisions about their care.

When combined with just one hour a week of social interaction, it improved patients' quality of life and eased their agitation, the researchers said.

This strategy also saved money compared to standard care, according to the study. The results were scheduled for presentation Sunday at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London.

"Taking a person-centered approach is about really getting to know the resident as an individual -- knowing their interests and talking with them while you provide all aspects of care," said Dr. Jane Fossey, of the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. "It can make a massive difference to the person themselves and their carers."

"We've shown that this approach significantly improves lives, reduces agitation and actually saves money, too," she added.

Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases. Vascular dementia, which occurs after a stroke, is the second most common dementia type. But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.

Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as “senility” or “senile dementia,” which reflects the formerly widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging.

People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of a purse or wallet, paying bills, planning and preparing meals, remembering appointments or traveling out of the neighborhood. Many dementias are progressive, meaning symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse. If you or a loved one is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking skills, don’t ignore them. See a doctor soon to determine the cause. Professional evaluation may detect a treatable condition. And even if symptoms suggest dementia, early diagnosis allows a person to get the maximum benefit from available treatments and provides an opportunity to volunteer for clinical trials or studies. It also provides time to plan for the future.

Different types of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimer’s disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and to communicate with each other.

    HealthDay

 

One social hour a week can help someone with dementia

Just a slight increase in social interaction benefits older adults with dementia and lowers health care costs, a new British study suggests. People with dementia who are living in [nursing] homes are among the most vulnerable in our society, said study leader Clive Ballard. Hes a professor at the University of Exeter Medical School in England. Our outcomes show that good staff training and just one hour a week of social interaction significantly improves quality of life for a group of people who can often be forgotten by society, Ballard said in a university news release. The study included more than 800 dementia patients living in 69 nursing homes in the U.K. Two staff members at each home were trained to engage in simple social activities with the patients. This included talking to them about their interests and decisions about their care. When combined with just one hour a week of social interaction, it improved patients quality of life and eased their agitation, the researchers said. This strategy also saved money compared to standard care, according to the study. The results were scheduled for presentation Sunday at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in London. Taking a person-centered approach is about really getting to know the resident as an individual -- knowing their interests and talking with them while you provide all aspects of care, said Dr. Jane Fossey, of the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. It can make a massive difference to the person themselves and their carers. Weve shown that this approach significantly improves lives, reduces agitation and actually saves money, too, she added. Dementia is not a specific disease. Its an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a persons ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimers disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases. Vascular dementia, which occurs after a stroke, is the second most common dementia type. But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as senility or senile dementia, which reflects the formerly widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging. People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of a purse or wallet, paying bills, planning and preparing meals, remembering appointments or traveling out of the neighborhood. Many dementias are progressive, meaning symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse. If you or a loved one is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking skills, dont ignore them. See a doctor soon to determine the cause. Professional evaluation may detect a treatable condition. And even if symptoms suggest dementia, early diagnosis allows a person to get the maximum benefit from available treatments and provides an opportunity to volunteer for clinical trials or studies. It also provides time to plan for the future. Different types of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimers disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and to communicate with each other. HealthDay