Facilitators and barriers to adaptive implementation of the Meeting Centers Support Program (MCSP) in three European countries; the process evaluation within the MEETINGDEM study

Abstract

The results of this study provide insight into generic and country specific factors that can influence the implementation of MCSP in different European countries. This study informs further implementation and dissemination of MCSP in Europe and may also serve as an example for the dissemination and implementation of other effective psychosocial support interventions for people with dementia and their informal caregivers across and beyond Europe.

The impact of the implementation of the Dutch combined Meeting Centres Support Programme for family caregivers of people with dementia in Italy, Poland and UK

“…In relation and of interest to the present study, attending the MCSP was associated with significantly higher Quality of Life scores (feelings of belonging, self-esteem, positive affect) for people with dementia who attended compared to a control group receiving usual care (Brooker et al, 2018). Higher attendance levels were associated with greater neuropsychiatric symptom reduction and increased feelings of support.…”

“…The different outcomes may also be due to variations in how the MCSP was adapted and delivered in the three countries involved. Closely related to this is the difference in the pathways to regular dementia cay-care activities and support in the three countries as analysed by Szcześniak et al (2018) and which could influence implementation. In Italy and Poland the pathways to post-diagnostic care are less structured than in the UK and access to interventions is much poorer.…”

“…The current study was designed primarily as an implementation study where much of the time and energy was put in realising at least two MCs in each country who provided the full MCSP (Mangiaracina et al, 2017;Szcześniak et al, 2018), were piloted and evaluated. As a consequence, no detailed screening on type of dementia or specific issues for family caregivers was undertaken.…”

Does the Meeting Centre Support Programme decrease the experience of stigmatisation among people with cognitive deficits?

“…MCSP was successfully implemented in Italy, Poland and the UK after a 12-month preparation phase involving collaboration between local organisations working for elderly people and those living with dementia 28,33,34 . Five Meeting Centres (MC) were opened in Italy (Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna regions), two in Poland (Wroclaw region), and two in the UK (Central England).…”

Meeting centres support programme highly appreciated by people with dementia and carers: a European cross-country evaluation

“…Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom (Dröes et al, 2017;Mangiaracina et al, 2017;Van Mierlo et al, 2017). In this paper, we will report on how people with dementia and their carers in these countries experienced the programme.…”