Just 10 Minutes of Social Interaction a Day Improves Wellbeing in Dementia Care

A study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2018 detailed results from the Wellbeing and Health for people with Dementia (WHELD) e-learning program, reports ScienceDaily . The program trains home caregivers to engage in meaningful social interaction with people who have dementia. WHELD directs caregivers to provide such engagement for 10 minutes daily, with the study involving 280 residents and care staff in 24 care communities over nine months. Caregivers participated in the program with key modules based on WHELD training, with or without Skype supervision. They compared outcomes to usual care, and both types of treatment improved resident well-being and staff attitudes to person-centered care. The group supported via Skype was found to sustain delivery of improved resident well-being four months after the trial was completed. "Our program moved care staff to see dementia through the eyes of those who are living it," says King's College London's Joanne McDermid. "We found a simple approach, delivered as e-learning, improves staff attitudes to care and residents' well-being, ultimately improving lives for people with dementia."