The Talking Sense Communication Programme for Dementia Carers
Dementia

About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Dementia focused on measuring dementia, communication, carers, caregivers, psychosocial support systems, education
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Carers will be included in this study if they are:
- Spouses, co-habiting partners or children of the person with dementia in communication contact with their relative with dementia for more than two hours weekly.
- Caring for a relative with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or lewy body dementia.
- Reporting "existing difficulties with communication"
- Demonstrating capacity to understand and consent to participation for the duration of the study
- Considered suitable with particular attention to the carers mental wellbeing, by the overseeing or referring psychiatrist, for participating within this study.
- Only receiving interventions within the parameters of treatment as usual as defined below.
Caring for a person with dementia with a recent score of between 21 and 27 out of 30 on the M.M.S.E. test (Folstein et al, 1975).
- Carers demonstrating signs of anxiety and depression will not be excluded, due to its high prevalence, but will be screened as suitable for participation by the referring psychiatrist.
- Although the Talking Sense manual is suitable for the widest range of communication difficulties in dementia, this study will limit its use to a cohort or people within the range of mild dementia as defined in the NICE clinical guidelines (2007). Using a more homogenous group of caregivers should improve generalisability of results. See also answer to question 6-2.
- Treatment as usual will include medical, psychological and social treatments provided by health and social services including speech and language therapy for carers and people with dementia and informed by a modelling exercise of local services which is a separate objective of this Ph.D. study.
- Carers considered to be receiving greater than standard treatment e.g. more than once weekly or other treatments focusing specifically on communication and behaviour or incorporating CBT will be excluded from participation in this study though will still be eligible for existing speech and language therapy services. It is expected that very few carers will be receiving greater than standard treatments.
Exclusion Criteria:
Carers will be excluded from participation if they:
- Have not been approved for participation by an overseeing psychiatrist
- Are caring for someone with a primary communication impairment associated with fronto-temporal dementia, Parkinson's disease or stroke as it is expected their presentation and experience will be significantly different.
- Carers who have already received any significant form of individualised communication therapy e.g. with speech and language therapy or occupational therapy.
Sites / Locations
- Speech and Language Therapy Department, Solent NHS Trust, St James Hospital,
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Experimental
Treatment as usual
The Talking Sense treatment
Half of participants recruited will be randomly assigned to the control group to receive treatment as usual. This is will be based on a single one hour consultation which will include communication advice and information.
Half of carer participants recruited will be randomly assigned to receive the Talking Sense treatment. This will be conducted one to one and individualised over 3 sessions and no more than 4.5 hours during no more than 8 weeks.