Development And Evaluation Of Cognition Based Interventions

PhD upgrade overview In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the development and evaluation of cognition-based interventions (CBIs) for people with dementia in improving cognition, and quality of life (QoL). However, little is known about the effects of these interventions for carers who are actively involved and participate in CBIs alongside their relative. In addition, it has been argued that engaging family carers in the therapeutic process is important as it has the potential to improve mutual understanding and enhance carer well-being. My PhD research aims to evaluate the effects of carer involvement in CBIs for people with dementia on carer well-being. This report presents the progress my research which comprises†¦show more content†¦Chapter five describes a qualitative study which I conducted to explore the experiences and perspectives of people with dementia and their carers while taking part in the iCST intervention. Chapter six reports on my personal development and achievements and my PhD progress since my starting date which was the 29th January 2013. Advancing age remains the single most important risk factor for developing dementia (Luengo-Fernandex, Leal, Gray 2010). It is estimated that there are currently over 46 million people living with dementia worldwide (World Alzheimer Report 2015), with a total of 835,000 people living with dementia in the UK alone (Alzheimer s Society, 2014). Dementia is a major cause of disability for older people (WHO, Dementia - A Public Health Priority 2012). Dementia also remains a greatest challenge for the society and has a huge economic impact on the health care system, people with dementia and their families (Dowrick 2014). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for up to 60% of all cases (Burns et al., 2006). AD is an age-related degenerative brain disorder which develops over a period of years, but is not a normal part of aging (WHO 2015). AD can affect individuals in different ways, but for most people symptoms begin by experiencing difficulty in remembering new information,