Dementia Attitudes Scale Research Articles

Canine Outreach Promoting Engagement: The Effect of Meaningful Activities on Students' Attitudes Toward Cognitively Impaired Older Adults.

Animal-assisted activities (AAAs) show promise in providing emotional and social benefits to older adults and may be used as a tool to promote therapeutic communication between students and cognitively impaired older adults. The purpose was to develop a program incorporating AAAs to enhance social engagement of cognitively impaired older adults in a community respite program and in turn enhance student comfort when caring for this vulnerable population. The Dementia Attitudes Scale, a validated tool, was used to measure students' attitudes before and after AAA intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Students were significantly more comfortable and demonstrated a gain in knowledge after AAAs were included in the community clinical experience. Incorporating AAAs into student community/service-learning clinical experience improved communication between students and cognitively impaired older adults, improving students' attitudes when caring for this population.

Adaptation of the Dementia Attitudes Scale into Turkish.

The aim of this study was to assess psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Dementia Attitudes Scale which is developed to determine attitudes towards dementia. 326 volunteered students between the age of 20-44 years, studying in Manisa Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Health Sciences are included in this methodological study. Data of the study were collected with "Demographic Data Form", "Dementia Attitudes Scale" and "UCLA-Geriatrics Attitudes Scale". For the analysis of the data, the SPSS and Lisrel software were used. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Dementia Attitudes Scale is 0.84 which is quite high. Confirmatory factor analysis has supported three factor-structure of the scale: "Supporting attitude", "Accepting attitude" and "Exclusionary attitude". Confirmatory factor analysis revealed goodness of fit coefficients as 0.076 for RMSEA, 2.86 for the chi-square/sd, and 0.93 for CFI. The analysis showed that the adapted scale fits the model very well. The scale can discriminate between demographic characteristics and attitudes to dementia. The scale significantly correlates with UCLA-Geriatric Attitudes Scale measuring attitude towards the elderly. Dementia Attitude Scale is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in studies evaluating the attitude towards dementia.

Assessing implicit and explicit dementia stigma in young adults and care-workers.

This aim of this study was to assess implicit and self-reported stigma towards people with dementia in young adults with no contact or experience (n = 23), and in care-workers (n = 17 professional dementia care-workers). Data were analysed to determine whether stigma was related to self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, stress and professional burnout. Forty participants completed the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and Dementia Attitudes Scale. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory were used to measure depression, anxiety, stress and professional burnout. The young adult group showed statistically significant levels of dementia stigma (on the two "dementia" trial-types, p = .027 and p = .030). Statistical analyses showed more dementia-positive attitudes in care-workers compared to young adults on the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and the Dementia Attitudes Scale (both p's=.021). Spearman's Rho correlations tests showed that for the care-givers, higher levels of burn-out were associated with more negative attitudes towards people with dementia on both of the Dementia Attitudes Scale subscales (social comfort p<.001 and dementia knowledge p=.005). The results support prior research showing that experience with a stigmatised group can lower stigma and demonstrate the importance of providing a supportive work environment to mitigate burnout.

Multidisciplinary attitudes to people with dementia; training and environmental factors play a role in caring for people with dementia in a Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore multidisciplinary attitudes and environmental factors affecting dementia care in the Cardiac Catheter Laboratory (CCL). Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires (n=87) were distributed in a hospital CCL in the North of England. The authors utilised the Dementia Attitudes Scale which incorporates two subscales: Social Comfort and Dementia Knowledge. In addition, a newly devised questionnaire asking about perceptions of how the CCL environment affected care of patients with dementia was added. Findings The response rate was 71 per cent (n=62). Years’ experience in the CCL was associated with lower Social Comfort scores (p=0.026). Dementia training was associated with higher mean Dementia Attitudes Scale and Social Comfort scores (p=0.021, p=0.007). Participants who had undertaken “Professional studies” had higher Dementia Attitudes Scale and Dementia Knowledge mean scores (p=0.038, p=0.046) but “On-the-job” training was perceived as most beneficial (32 per cent, n=20). Unit co-ordinators and nurses felt the CCL was an unfavourable environment for patients with dementia. Care was perceived to be impaired by environmental functionality, equipment and the presence of ionising radiation. Research limitations/implications The small sample limits generalisability. Although the Dementia Attitudes Scale is a validated questionnaire it has not been widely used so reliability of these results is unclear. Practical implications Caring for patients with dementia has unique challenges especially in areas like the CCL. These results suggest that practical experience and training can affect the perception of staff to patients with dementia hence there may be a need to assess what would be the most appropriate training to give health professionals in the future. Originality/value The authors believe this to be the first multi-professional research study into care of patients with dementia in a specialised acute unit. This was the most diverse sample known to have attitudes to dementia measured quantitatively in an acute hospital department and the results need to be replicated before practice should be changed.

The impact of educational experiences on nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward people with Alzheimer's disease: A mixed method study

BackgroundAs the population ages, the effects of Alzheimer's disease will be felt by all nurses. Providing proper care for people with Alzheimer's disease is difficult and requires specific skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Limited data exists regarding nursing students' attitudes and knowledge toward people with Alzheimer's disease, whether undergraduate education prepares students to care for this population, or the best methods to support students in learning in an innovative and interactive environment. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of different educational experiences on nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward people with Alzheimer's disease and to explore nursing students' knowledge and attitudes surrounding the care of people with Alzheimer's disease. DesignA convergent mixed method design. A three group (Alzheimer's disease clinical experience, online learning module, and no dementia-specific intervention), pretest and posttest design served as the quantitative arm of the study. A focus group discussion with themes extracted served as the qualitative piece of the study. SettingCollege of Nursing in North Texas. ParticipantsConvenience sample of 94 senior level nursing students enrolled in the undergraduate nursing program's Community Health course. MethodStudents completed pre and posttest surveys which included Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale, Dementia Attitudes Scale, and demographic questionnaire. Content analysis was conducted on focus group responses to qualitative interview questions. ResultsThe Alzheimer's disease clinical group experienced increased knowledge and improved attitudes toward people with Alzheimer's disease compared with students who completed the online module or had no dementia-specific intervention. Four themes emerged from focus group data: Basic Alzheimer's disease knowledge, need for Alzheimer's disease experiential learning, negative feelings related to behaviors, and appropriate responses to behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. ConclusionExperiential learning in the form of clinical placements increased knowledge and improved attitudes about Alzheimer's disease compared with an online module and no dementia-specific intervention.

Validation of Croatian Version of Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS)

Dementia significantly impairs cognitive and behavioral functioning of the person, and in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of patients suffering from dementia. In Croatia, such patients are often placed in retirement homes, non-specialized institutions for the elderly and infirm, often without adequately educated employees. Attitudes toward dementia seem to be an important factor for adequate care of people with dementia, but there was no previous research on this topic in Croatia. The Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS) developed by O’Connor and McFadden (2010), is a useful tool in research of attitudes toward dementia. The aim of the study was to translate the scale into the Croatian language and validate it on a Croatian sample. Participants were employees and retirement home users, other health care workers and the general population. Validation conducted on samples that were in everyday contact with dementia patients showed consistent factors (social comfort and dementia knowledge) as in the original scale, so the conclusion was that the questionnaire could be used in that population. Still, overall results that included the general sample showed different factors when compared to the original scale, since the Croatian version did not show standard factors, but rather positive and negative attitudes factors. Results could be seen as highly suggestive and emphasize the need to distinguish and separate research on attitudes toward dementia in different populations.

Medical Students' Perceptions of Dementia after Participation in Poetry Workshop with People with Dementia.

Purpose. Researchers assessed whether medical students' participation in a poetry workshop with people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) affected their attitudes towards persons with ADRD. Objective. To add to the growing body of research summarizing the impact of nonclinical interventions on medical students' perspectives about people with ADRD. Design. Researchers used dementia attitudes scale (DAS) and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to analyze participants' attitudes. Setting. Osteopathic medical school and dementia care unit in the state of New Jersey. Participants. Eleven out of fourteen medical students completed the study. Measurements. Emerging themes were classified from the postintervention semistructured interviews and descriptive statistics were used to compare the preintervention to postintervention DAS. Results. Researchers found statistically significant differences between preintervention and postintervention DAS scores. Study participants scored a preintervention DAS mean, 107.09 (SD = 11.85), that changed positively and significantly to the postintervention DAS mean, 121.82 (SD = 10.38). DAS subdomains, “comfort” (P = 0.002) and “knowledge” (P = 0.01), and eleven of the twenty DAS items underwent a positive and statistically significant shift from preintervention to postintervention. IPA of the interviews yielded five primary and five secondary themes, supporting the measured statistical outcomes. Conclusion. Medical students' participation in a poetry workshop, with people with ADRD, positively impacts their attitudes.

‘Awakened Art Stories’—Rediscovering pictures by persons living with dementia utilising TimeSlips: A Pilot Study

Introduction‘Awakened Art Stories’ is the first creative expression intervention study for persons with dementia (PWD) and their caregivers. The study was conducted at the Kunsthaus Museum in Switzerland. The intervention utilised TimeSlips to encourage persons living with dementia to create stories about artwork in response to open-ended questions. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the efficacy and feasibility of an intervention through storytelling and a social gathering. Materials and methodA mixed-method pre-post design using semi-structured interviews, written questionnaires, validated and adapted scales, and a self-generated observations' sheet as well as a visual analogue scale assessed the efficacy as well as the feasibility of the intervention. Participants were four PWDs and their caregivers as well as four volunteers, who supported the PWDs during the sessions. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analyses and descriptive observations, as well as further feedback from participants, while a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyse quantitative data. ResultsThe quantitative findings revealed a statistically significant, positive effect on PWDs' and caregivers' mood on the Smiley-Face Assessment Scale directly after the museum session (all participants: Z=−4.84, p<0.001; PWDs: Z=−3.57, p<0.001; Caregivers: Z=−3.34, p<0.001). On the Dementia Attitudes Scale, no significant differences in the caregivers' and volunteers' attitudes towards dementia were found. No significant differences were found on the Caregiver Burden Inventory either. Although the qualitative findings revealed via thematic analyses that while PWDs attributed their mood to the atmosphere, caregivers attributed it rather to social contacts. All caregivers and most of the volunteers reported a positive change in their attitude towards dementia. In addition, PWDs' reported that they welcomed the opportunity to contribute and express their thoughts. All participants were highly satisfied with their experience. ConclusionDespite the small sample size, the many benefits of making art accessible to PWDs and their caregivers, as well as the feasibility of an innovative intervention based on TimeSlips resulted in both quantitative and qualitative evidence.

Education Research: Changing medical student perceptions of dementia: an arts-centered experience.

Medical students' comfort level working with dementia is poorly understood, and may impact subsequent experiences with patients and caregivers. Early experiences that take place in a nonmedical setting may allow students to gain a more comprehensive understanding of quality of life and disease management in everyday life. We studied Columbia University preclinical medical students' perceptions of dementia relative to attending a nonclinical art-centered, museum-based experience designed for people with dementia and their caregivers. Participants individually attended a single 90-minute museum-based art-centered program designed to engage patients with dementia and caregivers; programs are attended by 6-10 patient-caregiver dyads and led by trained museum educators at existing New York City sites including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and The New-York Historical Society. The Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS) was administered before and after the intervention (least favorable = 20, neutral = 80, most favorable = 140). A total of 19 students completed baseline and postintervention DAS. At baseline, DAS mean = 97.4 (SD = 11.2). To limit bias of taking the test, 9 students completed a second preintervention DAS (≥1 week apart); among these, DAS increased from 95.7 (SD = 7.7) to 98.7 (SD = 7.4) (p = 0.09). Following the intervention, DAS favorably and significantly increased to 105.8 (SD = 11.0) (p ≤ 0.01 for all comparisons, paired-samples t test); greater differences were identified in comfort than knowledge of dementia. Although further study is warranted to confirm findings, given the increasing availability of such programs, it is reasonable to consider inclusion of these alongside other nonclinical programs that are already part of medical school curricula.

An Arts-Based Intervention at a Nursing Home to Improve Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Persons With Dementia

Emerging data suggest that students' attitudes toward older patients may be positively affected by geriatric experiences that are not clinically based, but no known interventions have used creative arts to integrate humanistic experiences into medical student geriatric education. This 2012 study evaluated whether participating in TimeSlips, a creative group-based storytelling program involving persons with dementia, improved medical students' attitudes toward such patients. The authors administered the Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS) to 22 fourth-year medical students to evaluate the mean change in their self-reported attitudes toward persons with dementia. The authors used paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to analyze pre- and post-program scores on the individual items of the DAS, on the subdomains of "comfort" and "knowledge," and on the overall scale. They used Cronbach alpha to evaluate the internal consistency and reliability of the "comfort" and "knowledge" subdomains and of the overall scale. Medical students' attitudes, as measured by the significantly higher scores on 12 of the 20 items, on each of the two subdomains, and on the overall scale, showed improvement after the TimeSlips sessions. The DAS showed acceptable to good internal consistency on both subdomains and on the overall scale both pre and post session; however, the internal consistency analysis is preliminary because of small sample size. The authors' findings provide preliminary evidence that participation in a creative storytelling program at a nursing home improves medical students' attitudes toward persons with dementia and adds to evidence supporting the reliability of the DAS.

How a creative storytelling intervention can improve medical student attitude towards persons with dementia: a mixed methods study.

The creative arts can integrate humanistic experiences into geriatric education. This experiential learning case study evaluated whether medical student participation in TimeSlips, a creative storytelling program with persons affected by dementia, would improve attitudes towards this patient population. Twenty-two fourth-year medical students participated in TimeSlips for one month. The authors analyzed pre- and post-program scores of items, sub-domains for comfort and knowledge, and overall scale from the Dementia Attitudes Scale using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon Signed-rank tests to evaluate mean change in students' self-reported attitudes towards persons with dementia. A case study approach using student reflective writing and focus group data was used to explain quantitative results. Twelve of the 20 items, the two sub-domains, and the overall Dementia Attitudes Scale showed significant improvement post-intervention. Qualitative analysis identified four themes that added insight to quantitative results: (a) expressions of fear and discomfort felt before storytelling, (b) comfort experienced during storytelling, (c) creativity and openness achieved through storytelling, and (d) humanistic perspectives developed during storytelling can influence future patient care. This study provides preliminary evidence that participation in a creative storytelling program improves medical student attitudes towards persons with dementia, and suggests mechanisms for why attitudinal changes occurred.

Evaluating an Arts‐Based Intervention to Improve Medical Student Attitudes Toward Persons with Dementia Using the Dementia Attitudes Scale

Evaluating an Arts‐Based Intervention to Improve Medical Student Attitudes Toward Persons with Dementia Using the Dementia Attitudes Scale

Impact of participation in TimeSlips, a creative group-based storytelling program, on medical student attitudes towards persons with dementia: a mixed methods evaluation

To evaluate whether medical student participation in TimeSlips, a creative group-based storytelling program, with persons affected by dementia would improve student attitudes towards this patient population. Fifteen fourth-year medical students from PennState College of Medicine participated in a month-long regimen of TimeSlipssessions at a retirement community in central Pennsylvania. Pre- and post program administration of the items on the Dementia Attitudes Scale were analyzed with paired t-tests to evaluate the mean change in students’ self-reported attitudes toward persons with dementia. Student course evaluations were analyzed at the conclusion of the program to further examine qualitative changes in attitude. Several items on the Dementia Attitudes Scale indicated a statistically significant improvement in medical students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of persons with ADRD. Qualitative data supported quantitative findings, while also revealing insights into the manner in which student attitudes toward a geriatric patient population became more positive. While previous research has demonstrated that medical student perceptions of geriatric patients may be improved through non-clinical experiences, this is the first known empirical study to suggest that participation in a creative, group-based storytelling program might improve medical student attitudes towards this patient population.

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Dementia Attitudes Scale

This study employed qualitative construct mapping and factor analysis to construct a scale to measure attitudes toward dementia. Five family caregivers, five professionals, and five college students participated in structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of the interviews led to a 46-item scale, which was reduced to 20 items following principal axis factoring with two different samples: college students (N = 302) and certified nursing assistant students (N = 145). Confirmatory factor analysis was then conducted with another sample of college students (N = 157). The final scale, titled the Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS), essentially had a two-factor structure; the factors were labeled “dementia knowledge” and “social comfort.” Total-scale Cronbach's alphas ranged 0.83–0.85. Evidence for convergent validity was promising, as the DAS correlated significantly with scales that measured ageism and attitudes toward disabilities (range of correlations = 0.44–0.55; mean correlation = 0.50). These findings demonstrate the reliability and validity of the DAS, supporting its use as a research tool.