P7: Implementation of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for People with Dementia in Nursing Homes in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Dementia and cognitive impairment are major causes of admission to Nursing Homes. These conditions also lead to caregiver burden and decrease quality of life. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is an evidence-based psychosocial intervention for people with dementia, recommended and implemented in many countries, including Brazil.

Objectives: The aim of the current study is to explore the feasibility and preliminary results of CST protocol in nursing homes for elders with cognitive impairment or dementia in Brazil.

Methods: Older adults with cognitive impairment were invited to participate in this study. Thirteen participants from two nursing homes were assessed at baseline with the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire, Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale, Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (Qol-AD) and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB). They were assigned to Usual Care/Waiting List and followed up for 7 weeks, being reassessed at the end of this period. Then, they underwent 14 CST sessions throughout 7 weeks and were reassessed at the end of the protocol. Repeated Measures ANOVA was selected to assess differences in time. This study was approved by the Ethics committee of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Results: There were no dropouts from the study, the CST protocol has shown to be feasible to be implemented in nursing homes. We found that the CST protocol had no statistically significant impact in CDR-SOB (F = 1.21, p = 0.315), CSDD (F = 1.61, p = 0.221), CAMCOG (F = 0.914, p = 0.414), but showed a statistically significant change in the Qol-AD scale (F = 3.618, p = 0.042). However, Mauchly’s test of sphericity is violated, and since it may lead to increased type I error, it is still premature to define a positive outcome.

Conclusions: These preliminary results are consistent with the previous literature, suggesting that the CST could be a useful psychosocial intervention to improve the quality of life of people with dementia living in nursing homes. Nevertheless, more participants need to be enrolled to address further consistent.