Acquired Dysar thr ia , Dysphagia , Dysphas ia and Dement ia , Care of the Elder ly 409

Closing the circle: from research to clinical service

SANDRA WALKER, F I CAlRD and M GILHOOLY The Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust, Glasgow, UK

ABSTRACT Carers of people with dementia report communication as a problem in day-to-day living. This study aimed to recruit 21 pairs of Alzheimer’s disease suffererers and their carers from various community sources, but of 52 patients referred only a total of 15 pairs completed the whole six months of the study. Carers were randomly allocated to one of two interuention groups and a control group. One interuention group was offered general information on a range of func- tions, for example, memory, attention and communication, with key words and explanations aimed at modifying them. The other group was given an indiuidual structured session focused directly on all aspects of communication, but with par- ticular attention, both to the indiuidual suffer’s problems of communication and to indicators for management of communication. These indicators were based on tested tasks and on evaluations of the responsiueness of sufferers to techniques which facilitated performance, such as semantic andor contextual cueing. The third group, acting as controls, were assessed at referral and at the end of the six months’ study period only. No specific information of either type was made available to carers in this group during the period. The small numbers make the conclusions tentative. However, interuention appeared to influence carers to the extent that, overall, they perceived communication impairment as less of a problem in spite of a general deterioration of the patient’s communication performance. Prouiding information to caregiuers of both a general and a specific nature may haue influ- enced the communication of some sufferers. This preliminary study suggests that speech therapy can made a contribution to the quality of life for elderly patients with dementia and their carers. As a result, the Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust now offers a full clinical assessment and management seruice for carers and patients reporting memory-related communication difficulties.