Daily Chats Improve Lives of People With Dementia, Study Says

A study published in PLOS Medicine suggests daily talks with people with dementia about their interests or family could help improve their quality of life, reports BBC News . A nine-month trial in 69 U.K. care communities involved more than 800 people, with staff trained to learn about residents' interests and abilities and ask them and their families questions about the care they received. This led to more personalized care that incorporated an hour a week of social interaction. The researchers found improvements in quality of life, agitation, and neuropsychiatric symptoms, with the greatest benefits for those with moderately severe dementia. "What this is suggesting is that actually relatively simple things, if implemented robustly, can actually make a real difference to people's quality of life," says University of Exeter Professor Clive Ballard. He notes in many care communities residents receive as little as two minutes of daily social interaction, and social activities are performed in groups that often leave a number of residents unengaged. Ballard also says there are currently 170 caregiver training manuals available, but only four were based on evidence that really worked, with manuals often used due to cost instead of effectiveness. "This study shows that training to provide this type of individualized care, activities, and social interactions can have a significant impact on the well-being of people living with dementia in care communities," says Alzheimer's Society Research Director Dr. Doug Brown.