Abstract
BackgroundNursing homes accommodate a large number of people with severe dementia. More than 80% of residents with dementia suffer from behavioural and psychological symptoms, that can have consequences on the perceived burden of the formal caregivers. Internationally, the number of studies on non-pharmacological interventions for people with severe dementia is very small. One way to reduce these symptoms is to meet the needs of people with severe dementia. The non-pharmacological group intervention MAKS-s, which we will investigate in this study, is intended to reduce the behavioural and psychological symptoms and to improve the quality of life of such people. Additionally, we will investigate the effects on the burden carried by formal caregivers.MethodsWith the present study, we will investigate the effectiveness of a multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention for people with severe dementia living in nursing homes (primary target group). A power analysis indicated that 144 dementia participants should initially be included. In addition, a secondary target group (nursing home staff) will be examined with respect to their dementia-related stress experiences. The study will be conducted as a cluster randomised controlled trail in Germany with a 6-month intervention phase. The nursing homes in the waitlist control group will provide “care as usual.” The primary endpoints of the study will be the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and the quality of life of people with severe dementia. The total duration of the study will be 18 months. Data will be collected by using observer rating scales.DiscussionThe project has some outstanding quality features. The external validity is high, because it is situated in a naturalistic setting in nursing homes and is being carried out with available nursing employees. Due to this fact, a permanent implementation also seems to be possible. Since the participating nursing homes are disseminated across several German federal states and rural and urban regions, the results should be transferable to the entire population.Trial registrationISRCTN15722923 (Registration date: 07 August 2019).
Highlights
IntroductionMore than 80% of residents with dementia suffer from behavioural and psychological symptoms, that can have consequences on the perceived burden of the formal caregivers
Nursing homes accommodate a large number of people with severe dementia
The external validity is high, because it is situated in a naturalistic setting in nursing homes and is being carried out with available nursing employees
Summary
More than 80% of residents with dementia suffer from behavioural and psychological symptoms, that can have consequences on the perceived burden of the formal caregivers. The number of studies on non-pharmacological interventions for people with severe dementia is very small. The non-pharmacological group intervention MAKS-s, which we will investigate in this study, is intended to reduce the behavioural and psychological symptoms and to improve the quality of life of such people. The number of studies on interventions for PWSDs, especially those with high-quality study designs, is very low internationally [8]. This means that either no such approaches have been developed so far, or they have not been published internationally. There is no intervention concept with concrete goals and a structured manual for PWSDs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
