The REMINDER Program for Older Adults Supported by Residential and Daycare Facilities

University of Coimbra

Status: Completed

Conditions: Old Age; Dementia; Aging, Healthy; Risk Reduction

Treatments: Other: REMINDER intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06733181

FSREMINDERRDFIORG0011881

University of Coimbra

Details and patient eligibility

About

Dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) deeply impact individuals' well-being and are expected to increase due to population aging, with global cases projected to rise to 152.8 million by 2050. Social isolation, accounting for 4% of dementia cases, emerges as a critical modifiable risk factor, particularly in institutionalized older adults, where it significantly raises dementia risk.

To address these challenges, the REMINDER program was developed as a tailored, multidomain intervention to reduce dementia risk, emphasizing social and cognitive engagement and advancing its adaptation and evaluation in Residential and Daycare Facilities (RDF). To assess the feasibility of REMINDER in older adults supported by RDF (recruitment, adherence, retention, acceptability, accessibility, and usability) and explore potential changes in cognitive and psychosocial outcomes.

Full description

Implementing DRR programs in RDFs presents several unique challenges, including participant diversity in educational levels, physical and cognitive health, motivation, and logistical constraints within institutional settings. A feasibility study is essential to identify and determine how to overcome these barriers. Specifically, this study explores acceptability, accessibility, adherence, and usability to optimize the REMINDER intervention for RDF settings. By addressing these practical concerns, the feasibility trial will ensure the intervention is effective and implementable, laying the groundwork for a successful full-scale RCT that meets the needs of older adults in RDFs (resulting in an adapted version, the REMINDER4Care). By creating an engaging and well-accepted tool, we look forward to amplifying the RDF tools available to reduce the risk of dementia in their residents.

Objectives

The primary objectives of this study were as follows:

1. To evaluate the acceptance rate of RDF and participants to join the research;
2. To determine the suitability of participant eligibility criteria by estimating feasible eligibility and recruitment rates;
3. To measure participant adherence and retention through attendance rates across all intervention sessions and trends over time;
4. To assess the feasibility of the REMINDER program in clinical settings, including its acceptability, accessibility, and usability.

Secondary objectives included exploring preliminary changes in cognitive and psychosocial outcomes from baseline to post-intervention while acknowledging that the study was not powered to detect statistically significant effects.

Enrollment: 25 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals aged 65 years and older
• RDF users
• Those with elementary reading and writing skills.

Exclusion criteria

• Have a clinical diagnosis of dementia and/or MMSE scores below the cutoff for the presence of dementia (MMSE < 22-27, depending on education level)
• Have a psychiatric or neurological condition that impairs cognition in the long term
• Have sensory and functional deficits that compromised their participation in the neuropsychological assessment and throughout the intervention sessions.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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25 participants in 1 patient group

REMINDER intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The REMINDER intervention includes 20 face-to-face group sessions, each approximately 60 to 75 minutes, held twice a week over ten weeks. This program aims to optimize memory, attention, executive function, and emotional regulation while promoting lifestyle habits that protect the aging brain. The sessions include brain health education, cognitive exercises, compensatory memory strategies, training for managing personally relevant goals (with goal setting), and stress management techniques (compassion-based therapies, relaxation methods, and mindfulness). As for the structure of the sessions, each starts with a mindfulness exercise and concludes with a review of the homework assignments. Every session includes a psychoeducation component focused on a specific topic, a time for sharing and reflection, and a practical activity.

Treatment:

Other: REMINDER intervention