Supportive Care for Dementia's innovative approach featured in Sage Journals
From left: Supportive Care for Dementia Medical Director Dr. Gill Hamilton, associate team leader Kylee Volk and RN Sara Crance.
In April, Sage Journals published an eye-opening research article authored by SCD Medical Director Dr. Gill Hamilton, RN Sara Crance and associate team leader Kylee Volk, along with ASU professor Dr. Tamiko Azuma and student Ethan Best.
Titled “Living Alone with Dementia: Supportive Care for Dementia, a Replicable Model for Support and Lessons Learned,” the study examined the impact of the program on 300 people with dementia who live alone. Cognitive impairment varied from mild to advanced and over 70% of patients were women. The research was conducted between January 2021 and July 2023.
Program participation was associated with positive outcomes, such as decreased ER visits, reduced stress among distant caregivers, and increased use of supportive services and familial engagement.
Of particular interest, the study found paradoxically that caregivers living with the person with dementia had less perceived stress than caregivers who did not live with the person. Those living in the state but not with the person had more stress. Those living out of state had the most stress of all. Perhaps for distant caregivers, guilt, worry and the emotional burden of not being able to provide hands-on support added to stress.
With the growing incidence of dementia among older adults — many of whom are living alone — the report underscores the importance of effective programs that facilitate access to supportive services for this vulnerable population. SCD’s multifaceted approach includes in-person visits with trained dementia educators, phone consultations with clinicians with expertise and, a dedicated nurse triage phone service.
“Team leader Kristen Pierson, our dementia educators and the administrative team are highly commended for carrying out such a successful program,” Dr. Hamilton said.
A number of additional takeaways are highlighted in the study published by Sage Journals, a leading publisher of peer-reviewed academic and medical research.