Social interactions in retirement homes have greatly improved the quality of life of people with dementia, according to results of a study published in the medical journal PLOS Medicine.
People with dementia living in nursing homes often have very low levels of activity and social interaction. In extreme cases, they may receive an average of just 2 minutes of social interaction over 6 hours.
Researchers from the Alzheimer’s Society, Bangor University, Exeter University, King’s College London, London School of Economics conducted a study with 847 demented patients in 69 different nursing homes in the UK. The 9-month study assigned individuals to receive either traditional treatment or the Wellbeing and Health for people with Dementia (WHELD) intervention. This psychosocial and personalized program involves talking with patients and setting up social interactions.
Improve the quality of life of patients
The results of the study showed that patients who took the WHELD program saw their quality of life scores increase while their restlessness and dementia symptoms decreased.
“If the effect of such a personalized social interaction program remains weak, it is comparable or even higher to that observed on the quality of life of patients, with antipsychotics, the researchers note. In addition, the model can ‘easily’ be implemented in nursing homes, ”explained Clive Ballard, professor at the University of Exeter in the UK,
“We want to develop effective, factual and practical training that can be widely applied. There are varying and often poor standards of care for people with dementia and very little substantive training for nursing home staff, ”the study author concluded.
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