Evaluation Of Innovative Dementia Programmes: A Short Review

Dementia patients are now surviving longer than they did 30 years ago. The result is that in the absence of a cure, carers have to come up with increasingly innovative solutions to the management and treatment of dementia and its behavioural manifestations. This working paper focuses on the social and behavioural techniques used to manage dementia, and discusses alternative ways to evaluate these techniques. Five main attributes of dementia programmes are reviewed: the use of physical design to ameliorate symptoms; communication and the significance of interpersonal relationships; activity programmes; segregated care; and behaviour modification techniques. Finally, alternative models of evaluation programmes are discussed.