[ad_1]
A supported conversation group
It was the end of 2021, and COVID restrictions were beginning to relax. Finally, we were able to restart our already established Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) groups. It was around this time that another idea started to form. One of our therapists was simultaneously seeing three separate clients with dementia, and found herself covering the same material during individual blocks of therapy.
We wondered if it would be more time-effective to bring these three couples together. What if information around how dementia impacts on communication and how to access other available support could be shared in a group setting? We could all practise supported conversation strategies together. We hoped that the social benefits of meeting others going through a similar experience would be the icing on the cake.
This idea became reality when an initial trial group was run for five weeks in May 2022. The group was attended by three couples, each consisting of a person with dementia and a close family member. The first session provided information around communication difficulties in dementia, followed by four more interactive sessions – each with a different theme to encourage participation in conversation. An AHP guest speaker attended each session, offering an overview of self-management advice and the kinds of support available from their physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and dietetics services.
We wanted to be as inclusive as possible in inviting the person with dementia to join us for all sessions. However, when time came to evaluate the group, it was agreed that the initial session and input from other AHPs was information-heavy and overwhelming for the person with dementia. Although these elements had been beneficial for the attending carers, we decided to make a few changes.
Fast forward about a year, and we have just finished a fourth ‘Communicating Well with Dementia’ group, with an established format.
A spin-off Allied Health Professionals Information Day in Aberdeen has been developed, offering the opportunity for people with dementia and their carers to drop-in to the local Dementia Resource Centre for an informal chat with a variety of AHPs. This has allowed our SLT group to focus solely on communication in dementia.
The first week of the group is now attended only by carers, to give us a chance to educate and share larger amounts of information without overwhelming the person with dementia. This also gives carers a chance to share difficulties and thoughts with others in a similar position.
The following four weeks are attended by the person with dementia and their communication partner together. Each week focuses on a specific supportive communication strategy (e.g. using visual aids, simplifying language, and considering the types of questions asked) and offers opportunities to practise these in the form of fun group activities and tasks. Each week is presented around a different theme, such as local landmarks, holidays, music, and life stories.
We have also begun offering a stand-alone ‘Carers’ information session’ offered to family members of people with dementia who are unable to attend the full supported conversation group. There are also plans to create a recorded version of this session to allow access to extended family members or those who do not live in the local area.
Although the provision of groups might not have been a big time-saver to date (many hours have been spent evaluating and tweaking!), we are in agreement that the quality of the communication input we are able to provide in the group exceeds one-to-one input in multiple ways. Comments collected on feedback forms to date include:
We continue to receive a steady number of communication referrals for people with dementia, and so we continue to plan our group sessions and hope we can offer early support to these individuals and their families to enable them to live well with Dementia.
Contributors: Helena Gentles and Elizabeth Tweedie, Speech and Language Therapists, NHS Grampian
[ad_2]
Source_link