This paper describes an innovative demonstration program called Side by Side that was initiated to assess the feasibility of supported workplace engagement for people with younger onset dementia. Seven people with mild dementia work one day per week beside a work-buddy in a large metropolitan hardware store. Work-buddies are store employees who have undergone dementia training. Work duties are negotiated at the start of each shift and include restocking, plant care, assembling display stock and serving customers. All participants have been able to adapt to the workplace environment and some now talk about 'their customers'. Family carers have reported a positive impact on self-esteem and life satisfaction as a result of the workplace experience. This evaluation of feasibility has exceeded all expectations and has demonstrated that it is possible to offer meaningful activities for people with mild dementia if an appropriate framework of support is provided.
Photography is a tool that has been used in research for many years. It allows people to create a record of an event, capture a complex phenomenon or to tell a story with pictures. Because it does not rely on language, it can be used with vulnerable populations who might not normally be included in research. This paper discusses the use of photography as one component of the evaluation strategy for a project that provided an opportunity for people with younger onset dementia to return to the workplace one day per week. Participants in the workplace project used photography to create a record of their experience of returning to the workplace. Based on the nature of the participant's comments, photographs were grouped into four broad areas: impact of dementia, impact on family, the work experience and new friends. Issues related to the use of photography with people who have dementia are explored based on the experiences gained during this project.
Altered behaviour associated with dementia can present a number of challenges in the provision of care within both community and residential aged care settings. This paper presents a qualitative case study investigation of the implementation of the Positive Interactive Engagement programme within a residential aged care setting. The Positive Interactive Engagement programme incorporates non-pharmacological sensory techniques that have been informed by a person-centred, Montessori approach. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with workers at a residential aged care facility in South Australia yielded seven case studies. Data were thematically analysed both within and between cases. Our data indicate the programme demonstrates underlying Montessori principles and supports participant behaviour change, with a noted reduction in 'disruptive' behaviours and increased social connection amongst participants. Programme staff report increased job satisfaction. The Positive Interactive Engagement programme offers a model that demonstrates encouraging outcomes, and further research would be useful in ascertaining whether these outcomes translate to quantifiable improvements in the quality of life for people with dementia in a residential aged care setting.
This evaluation offers a practical demonstration that it is feasible and safe to provide opportunities for younger people with dementia to engage in meaningful activities in the community if appropriate support is provided.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.