Time for Dementia: innovation in dementia education

Abstract

Background:The future healthcare workforce needs the skills, attitudes, and empathy to better meet the needs of those with dementia. Time for Dementia is an educational programme in which healthcare students from a range of professional groups visit a person with dementia and their family carer over a two-year period. The first phase of research demonstrated positive outcomes for students (Banerjee et al., 2021; Daley et al., 2020). Here we discuss the most recent findings from the second phase.Objectives:to evaluate the impact of Time for Dementia on student attitudes, knowledge and empathy towards dementia, and satisfaction of students and families.Methods:A mixed methods longitudinal cohort study was conducted between 2014- 2021. Measures of dementia knowledge, attitudes and empathy were administered to healthcare students at five universities in the south of England before and after (24 months) they completed the Time for Dementia programme. Data were also collected at equivalent time points for a control group of students who had not taken part in the programme. Outcomes were modelled using multilevel linear regression models. Satisfaction surveys were completed by students and families at the end of the programme.Results:2,700 intervention group students, 562 control group students and 803 families consented to participate in the research. Students undertaking the Time for Dementia programme had higher levels of knowledge and positive attitudes at follow-up compared to equivalent students who did not undertake the programme. Satisfaction was high for both students and families, with both perceiving benefits of taking part.Conclusions:The results suggest the Time for Dementia programme is effective in improving the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare students across different professional groups and universities. It also demonstrates that dementia education that meaningfully involves people with dementia and their carers can be delivered at scale for healthcare professionals.