Volunteers Adding Life in Dementia (VALID)

Queen's University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Behavior; Alzheimer Disease; Dementia

Treatments: Behavioral: Volunteers Adding Life in Dementia (VALID) Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01646723

VALID1

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objectives of our project are to: 1.) Develop a training program and manual for volunteers to implement evidence-based, non-pharmacological interventions for neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia in long-term care (LTC) settings; 2.) Recruit and train volunteers using the VALID program and pilot test the volunteer-led program with 20 individuals with Alzheimer's disease and NPS in a LTC facility in Kingston; and, 3.) Evaluate the effects of the VALID program on the symptoms of NPS, patient quality of life, volunteer's experience, and LTC staff stress.

Enrollment: 75 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or related forms of dementia
• significant symptoms of agitation as measured by a Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) total score of >39
• in nursing home for at least 30 days
• presence of a caregiver or substitute decision maker willing to consent to treatment
• no changes in psychotropic medications in the 2 weeks preceding enrolment in study

Exclusion criteria

• depressive symptoms presenting risk
• physically aggressive behavior posing safety risk to others
• uncontrolled pain
• currently receiving palliative care
• medically unstable with life expectancy of < 6 months
• currently awaiting transfer to another LTC facility or hospital.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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75 participants in 1 patient group

VALID Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Volunteers Adding Life in Dementia (VALID) Program

Treatment:

Behavioral: Volunteers Adding Life in Dementia (VALID) Program