Judge, K. S., Yarry, S. J., Looman, W. J., Bass, D. M.

Purpose: This study examined the efficacy of a newly developed intervention, Acquiring New Skills While Enhancing Remaining Strengths (ANSWERS), for family caregivers of individuals with dementia. ANSWERS was designed for dyads comprised of an individual with dementia and his/her family caregiver. Using a strength-based approach, ANSWERS combined educational skills (traditionally used with caregivers) and cognitive […]

Guerra, S. R., Rodrigues, S. P., Demain, S., Figueiredo, D. M., Sousa, L. X.

Dementia is a challenging chronic illness that affects the patients and their families. Families often perform a full-time, specialised role, which requires expert knowledge and skills. This paper describes the evaluation of proFamilies-dementia (a programme developed to support families that care for a relative with dementia) using an innovative participatory methodology: photovoice, a qualitative method […]

George, Daniel R., Singer, Mendel E.

Objectives: To evaluate whether a structured intergenerational volunteering intervention would enhance quality of life (QOL) for persons with mild to moderate dementia.; Methods: Fifteen participants were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in hour-long structured volunteer sessions with a kindergarten class and an older elementary class in alternating weeks during a […]

Czaja, Sara J., Loewenstein, David, Schulz, Richard, Nair, Sankaran N., Perdomo, Dolores

Background/objectives: Available services and intervention programs for dementia caregivers are often underutilized because of issues such as cost, logistics, lack of knowledge about available services, or insufficient support from others. Information technologies offer the potential of removing these barriers and facilitating the ability of caregivers to access needed support. This project evaluated the feasibility and […]

Brodaty, Henry, Low, Lee-Fay, Liu, Zhixin, Fletcher, Jennifer, Roast, Joel, Goodenough, Belinda, Chenoweth, Lynn

Objective: To test the hypothesis that individual and institutional-level factors influence the effects of a humor therapy intervention on aged care residents. Methods: Data were from the humor therapy group of the Sydney Multisite Intervention of LaughterBosses and ElderClowns, or SMILE, study, a single-blind cluster randomized controlled trial of humor therapy conducted over 12 weeks; […]