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Exploring The Hinterland: The Development Of A Person-Centered Music Therapy Method For A Hospice Patient With Lewy Body Dementia, Paige Chaplin

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explores the development and implementation of a music therapy method with an individual diagnosed with dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) receiving home hospice services. There is very little known about the effect of music therapy on patients diagnosed with DLB. Informed by Tom Kitwood’s Person-Centered Care (PCC) philosophy for dementia care, Yumiko Sato’s Musical Life Review (MLR) model, and Lisa Kelly and Bill Ahessy’s Reminiscence-Focused Music Therapy (RFMT) model, a clinical method was developed to explore the effects of person-centered music therapy on reminiscence, caregiver connection, and identity. I drew inspiration from music therapy concepts by Tony Wigram …

Association Of Type 2 Diabetes Subgroups With Cognitive Status Without Modification From Lifestyle Intervention, Michael P Bancks, James Lovato, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Mace Coday, Karen C Johnson, Medha Munshi, Candida Rebello, Lynne E Wagenknecht, Mark A Espeland

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CONTEXT: Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for incident dementia but whether risk and treatment/prevention strategies differ by diabetes subgroup is unknown.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed (1) whether specific type 2 diabetes (T2D) subgroups are associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or probable dementia (PD), and (2) whether T2D subgroups modified the association of the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) multidomain intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) with MCI/PD.

METHODS: We included 3760 Look AHEAD participants with T2D and overweight or obesity randomly assigned to 10 years of ILI or diabetes support and education. We used k-means clustering techniques with …

A Qualitative Multiple Case Study Of Rural Spousal Caregivers’ Experience With Health Promotion, Tamara L. Braley

Theses & Dissertations

Rural spousal caregivers caring for a person living with moderate to severe dementia at home are at risk of serious health consequences because they are unable to attend to their own personal health needs. Insufficient evidence exits that informs how contextual components of the rural spousal caregiving situation prevent caregivers from practicing personal health promotion and wellness while caregiving during the later stages of dementia. The aims of this qualitative, descriptive, multiple case study were to: 1) describe transition points in the rural spousal caregiver’s role across the dementia disease trajectory, 2) describe the rural spousal caregiver’s experience with personal …

Promoting Early Detection In Primary Care: Program Evaluation Of The Dementia Care Aware Program In Orange County, Ennah Cabading

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The aging population is growing quickly, raising concerns about the increasing numbers of those with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, as age is the common risk factor for acquiring the disease. The increase in the elderly population may influence higher healthcare costs and the need for more healthcare professionals like primary care professionals. However, primary care professionals face challenges meeting this population's demands due to the lack of training, confidence, and understanding of dementia care. A new California initiative called Dementia Care Aware aims to support primary care professionals by offering training, tools, and resources to increase early detection and …

Evaluation Of A Care Management Program On Family Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia, Victoria L. Jackson

Doctoral Projects

Dementia due to Alzheimer’s and other disease is a growing concern for healthcare providers as the number of individuals in the U.S. population ages. Persons with dementia (PWDs) rely on caregivers, primarily family caregivers (FCGs), for basic and instrumental activities of daily living as the disease progresses. There may be negative outcomes, such as depression, strain, and distress for FCGs of PWDs. Routine assessment and intervention by healthcare providers can address needs of FCGs of PWDs. There are multiple interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in caring for PWDs and FCGs; one such intervention is care management. The University of California, …

Building An Age & Dementia Friendly Barnstable: An Action Plan, Caitlin Coyle, Beth Rouleau, Shayna Gleason

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

The Town of Barnstable has long-been aware of its aging population and, as a result, has initiated a number of planning processes to advance the livability of the community for all ages---this report documents the Age & Dementia Friendly planning process and associated ideas for action.

Co-Designing Assistive Technology With And For Persons Living With Dementia, Dympna O'Sullivan, Jonathan Turner, Siobhan O'Neill, Micheal Wilson, Julie Doyle

Conference papers

Dementia is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative illness, which can lead to significant difficulties in a person’s capacity to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and engage in meaningful activities. There is an acute need, which digital health technologies can potentially fulfil, to provide proactive support for persons living with dementia (PLwD) and their caregivers. However, there is limited involvement of PLwD in the design of technology that could be used to support their personal plans for independent living at home. In this paper, we describe how we are employing a co-design methodology to support engagement in an assistive technology …

Nursing Care Of Family Caregivers: Interventions And Considerations Regarding Current Issues Facing Family Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia Relevant To Nursing Practice, Alayna Kent

Senior Honors Theses

There are an estimated 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older who are currently living with Alzheimer’s dementia. A large majority of these individuals receive care from a nonprofessional family caregiver, typically in the home setting. It is well documented that family caregivers of dementia patients experience many unique challenges. These challenges provide valuable opportunities for nurses to provide helpful interventions to aid this vulnerable population. An integrated review of the recent literature was conducted, and articles were chosen by a method modeled after the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flowsheet. The research was then analyzed …

Health Experiences Of Sexual And Gender Minority People Living With Dementia And Their Care Partners: Protocol For A Scoping Review, Jennifer T. May Phd, Rn, Anp-Bc, Melissa Louise Harris

Publications

Background: People living with dementia and their care partners who identify as a sexual and gender minority (SGM) often experience specific health inequities and disparities due to discrimination related to age, cognitive impairment, and being SGM.

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review is to identify, explore, and synthesize the state of the science regarding the health and health care experiences of SGM people living with dementia and their care partners. This review also aims to identify gaps in research and set forth key recommendations to improve the health and health care experiences of SGM people living with dementia and …

Biomarkers For Dementia In Latin American Countries: Gaps And Opportunities, Mario A Parra, Paulina Orellana, Tomas Leon, Cabello G Victoria, Fernando Henriquez, Rodrigo Gomez, Constanza Avalos, Andres Damian, Andrea Slachevsky, Agustin Ibañez, Henrik Zetterberg, Betty M Tijms, Jennifer S Yokoyama, Stefanie D Piña-Escudero, J Nicholas Cochran, Diana L Matallana, Daisy Acosta, Ricardo Allegri, Bianca P Arias-Suárez, Bernardo Barra, Maria Isabel Behrens, Sonia M D Brucki, Geraldo Busatto, Paulo Caramelli, Sheila Castro-Suarez, Valeria Contreras, Nilton Custodio, Sergio Dansilio, Myriam De La Cruz-Puebla, Leonardo Cruz De Souza, Monica M Diaz, Lissette Duque, Gonzalo A Farías, Sergio T Ferreira, Nahuel Magrath Guimet, Ana Kmaid, David Lira, Francisco Lopera, Beatriz Mar Meza, Eliane C Miotto, Ricardo Nitrini, Alberto Nuñez, Santiago O'Neill, John Ochoa, Maritza Pintado-Caipa, Elisa De Paula França Resende, Shannon Risacher, Luz Angela Rojas, Valentina Sabaj, Lucas Schilling, Allis F Sellek, Ana Sosa, Leonel T Takada, Antonio L Teixeira, Martha Unaucho-Pilalumbo, Claudia Duran-Aniotz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Limited knowledge on dementia biomarkers in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries remains a serious barrier. Here, we reported a survey to explore the ongoing work, needs, interests, potential barriers, and opportunities for future studies related to biomarkers. The results show that neuroimaging is the most used biomarker (73%), followed by genetic studies (40%), peripheral fluids biomarkers (31%), and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (29%). Regarding barriers in LAC, lack of funding appears to undermine the implementation of biomarkers in clinical or research settings, followed by insufficient infrastructure and training. The survey revealed that despite the above barriers, the region holds a …

Estimating Dementia Risk In An African American Population Using The Dctclock, Marissa Ciesla, Jeff Pobst, Joyce Gomes-Osman, Melissa Lamar, Lisa L Barnes, Russell Banks, Ali Jannati, David Libon, Rodney Swenson, Sean Tobyne, David Bates, John Showalter, Alvaro Pascual-Leone

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) is increasing. African Americans are twice as likely to develop dementia than other ethnic populations. Traditional cognitive screening solutions lack the sensitivity to independently identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline. The DCTclock is a 3-min AI-enabled adaptation of the well-established clock drawing test. The DCTclock can estimate dementia risk for both general cognitive impairment and the presence of AD pathology. Here we performed a retrospective analysis to assess the performance of the DCTclock to estimate future conversion to ADRD in African American participants from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Research …

Development Of A Micro-Credential Curriculum: The Interprofessional Dementia Caregiving Telehealth Community Practicum Badge, Susan L. Wenker, Chinh Kieu, Tracy Schroepfer, Kristen Felten, Kathleen Smith, Hossein Khalili

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Informal dementia caregiving by family caregivers is a crucial component of the care provided to people living with dementia (PLwD). The numbers of these family caregivers are rapidly increasing at a time, when in the U.S., the availability of formal caregivers is decreasing. Currently, health professional training focuses on providing care to PLwD and not necessarily addressing the caregiver’s needs, and this training takes place within professional silos and not interprofessionally. This study sought to address this issue by: 1) examining the current state of interprofessional dementia caregiving trainings in the US; and 2) developing a micro-credential curriculum called …

How Do Informal Caregivers Of A Person With Dementia Experience Stress And Which Supports Help Mitigate The Effect Of These Stressors?, Kwandra Andrews Brinson

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD) are one of the most rapidly growing epidemics that the world is facing. Caring for a person with ADRD is challenging and often causes informal caregivers stress, loneliness, and social isolation.

Purpose: The aim of this qualitative instrumental case study was to obtain a better understanding of how informal caregivers of persons with ADRD experience stress and which supports helped mitigate the effect of these stressors in their role as a caregiver.

Theoretical Framework: The Model of Human Occupation focuses on therapy helping persons to engage in occupational behaviors that maintain, restore, reorganize, …

Gender And Race Influence Young Adults' Impressions Of People With Dementia, Angel Collie

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) are becoming more common among older adults around the United States, including African Americans, who are twice as likely to be clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Though it is counter-intuitive, young adults are important when examining the future projections of ADRD because they will be the future caretakers of older adults. The current study investigated whether impressions of people with dementia are influenced by the interaction of gender and race among young adults. In Phase 1, young adults (N = 157, ages 18-25, median age = 20) completed a reverse correlation task where they …

A Clinical Practice Guideline For Managing Behavioral Problems In Persons With Dementia, Ken J. Brinker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAs the baby boom generation ages, the demand for effective nursing care for patients diagnosed with dementia has greatly increased. The challenges associated with dementia include a patient’s inability to focus, pay attention, and follow conversations. Patients often become forgetful, angry, frustrated, and aggressive with family members and caregivers. The medical providers and administrators at a long-term care facility needed assistance in developing a clinical practice guideline for managing behaviors demonstrated by patients with dementia. The project question centered on the identification of current evidence supporting a clinical practice guideline for nursing practice for unpredictable behaviors demonstrated by residents diagnosed …

Predictors Of Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic In People With Dementia And Their Carers In England: Findings From The Determind-C19 Study, For The Determind Team, Rotem Perach, Sanna Read, Ben Hicks, Peter R. Harris, Jennifer Rusted, Carol Brayne, Margaret Dangoor, Eleanor Miles, Josie Dixon, Louise Robinson, Alan Thomas, Sube Banerjee

More Faculty of Health Research

Objectives: To identify factors that predict the risk of loneliness for people with dementia and carers during a pandemic. Methods: People with dementia and their carers completed assessments before (July 2019–March 2020; 206 dyads) and after (July–October 2020) the first Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ in England. At follow-up, the analytic sample comprised 67 people with dementia and 108 carers. We built a longitudinal path model with loneliness as an observed outcome. Carer type and social contacts at both measurements were considered. Other social resources (quality of relationship, formal day activities), wellbeing (anxiety, psychological wellbeing) and cognitive impairment were measured with initial level …

Factors Associated With The Quality Of Life Of Nursing Home Residents During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study, Matthias Hoben, Emily Dymchuk, Kyle Corbett, Rashmi Devkota, Shovana Shrestha, Jenny Lam, Sube Banerjee, Stephanie A. Chamberlain, Greta G. Cummings, Malcolm B. Doupe, Yinfei Duan, Janice Keefe, Hannah M. O'Rourke, Seyedehtanaz Saeidzadeh, Yuting Song, Carole A. Estabrooks

More Faculty of Health Research

Objectives: Quality of life (QoL) of nursing home (NH) residents is critical, yet understudied, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective was to examine whether COVID-19 outbreaks, lack of access to geriatric professionals, and care aide burnout were associated with NH residents' QoL. Design: Cross-sectional study (July to December 2021). Setting and Participants: We purposefully selected 9 NHs in Alberta, Canada, based on their COVID-19 exposure (no or minor/short outbreaks vs repeated or extensive outbreaks). We included data for 689 residents from 18 care units. Methods: We used the DEMQOL-CH to assess resident QoL through video-based care aide interviews. Independent …

“For The Future, For Him, And For Our Life Together”: The Relationship Goals And Well-Being Of Persons Living With Dementia And Their Spousal Care Partners, Claire Leigh Szapary

Public Health Theses

Background. Identities and dynamics in relationships can change when one spouse develops dementia. This study aimed to understand the various types of goals both spousal care partners and persons living with dementia (PLWD) have for their relationship, and to explore whether approach or avoidance goals were associated with individual wellbeing and relational support – as well as their partners’ wellbeing and support.

Methods. A secondary analysis of data from sixty-two spousal dyads where one partner has dementia was conducted. Thematic goal-type categories were determined through a card-sort content analysis methodology using participants’ brief qualitative responses to a question asking about …

Preimplantation Genetic Testing For Neurobehavioral Traits, Peter K. Zeller

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Differences in behavioral and mental health traits result from unique interactions of genetic and environmental factors. Genetic information has improved along with technological advancements allowing for more data points to be established and increased data resolution. Because of this, there is a greater ability to identify embryos that carry genetic risk. The approach of Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is routine for certain genetic diseases but has not been widely used for psychiatric or behavioral traits. This paper critically examines the potential application of PGT-P by focusing on one main example, Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the most prevalent form of …

Utility Of Dna Methylation As A Biomarker In Ageing And Alzheimer’S Disease, Lidija Milicic, Tenielle Porter, Michael Vacher, Simon M. Laws

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation have been implicated in a number of diseases including cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. While it is recognized that DNA methylation is tissue-specific, a limitation for many studies is the ability to sample the tissue of interest, which is why there is a need for a proxy tissue such as blood, that is reflective of the methylation state of the target tissue. In the last decade, DNA methylation has been utilized in the design of epigenetic clocks, which aim to predict an individual’s biological age based on an algorithmically defined set …

Nurses' Perceptions Of Music Therapy In Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Survey, Teressa Sambolin

Theses & Dissertations

This study examined nurses’ perceptions of music therapy in skilled nursing facilities. Twentytwo nurses who work in these facilities were surveyed utilizing a descriptive survey design. There is a need for research on nurses’ perceptions of music therapy within these settings to communicate the benefits of music therapy within the skilled nursing population. Data were analyzed through statistical analysis performed by Survey Planet© which produced descriptive statistics. Results indicated that nurses were likely to refer patients to music therapy, but there was uncertainty to if their music therapist is a music entertainer. Furthermore, most residents within skilled nursing attend music …

Alzheimer’S Disease (Ad) Knowledge In Korean Americans: Identifying Knowledge Gaps And Misconceptions And Examining Predictors Of Ad Knowledge, Sang E. Lee, Michin Hong, Banghwa L. Casado

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objectives: This study examined Alzheimer’s disease (AD) knowledge and its predictors among Korean Americans (KAs). Design: Convenience sampling was used to recruit KAs in the Greater Washington metropolitan area. A total of 268 KAs participated in the study and completed a cross-sectional survey in 2014. Using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), overall and domain knowledge was assessed. Multiple regression analyses were conducted for overall and domain knowledge with predictors including exposure to AD, social engagement, sources and frequency of health-related information, stigmatic beliefs (pity, antipathy, and social distance), English proficiency, and education. Results: KAs reported a 59% accuracy in …

Dual-Task Upper Extremity Motor Performance Measured By Video Processing As Cognitive-Motor Markers For Older Adults, Changhong Wang, Mohsen Zahiri, Ashkan Vaziri, Bijan Najafi

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Introduction: The use of dual-task model such as dual-task gait has been extensively studied to assess cognitive-motor performance among older adults. However, space restriction and safety factor limit its applications in remote assessment. To address the gap, we propose a video processing-based approach to remotely quantify cognitive-motor performance using a 20-s repetitive elbow flexion-extension test with dual-task condition, called video-based motoric-cognitive meter (MCM).

Methods: Eighteen older participants (age: 78.6 ± 6.5 years) who were clinically diagnosed as having either mild cognitive impairment or dementia were included in this study. Participants were asked to perform 20-s repetitive elbow flexion-extension exercise with …

Religion, Spirituality, And Coping During The Pandemic: Perspectives Of Dementia Caregivers, Katherine Carroll Britt, Kathy C Richards, Kavita Radhakrishnan, Andrea Vanags-Louredo, Eunice Park, Nalaka S Gooneratne, Liam Fry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Religious and spiritual (R/S) practices support individuals during difficult situations. The COVID-19 social distancing restrictions may have limited access to R/S practices for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease related dementia (ADRD) and their caregivers, affecting coping and well-being. This qualitative study explored the impact of social distancing on R/S practices and coping in ADRD-caregiver dyads from the perspective of caregivers. Interviews were conducted with 11 family caregivers of older adults with ADRD residing in nursing homes (n = 4) or private homes (n = 7). Caregivers continued individual and started virtual R/S practices which improved their ability to …

Care4ad: A Technology-Driven Platform For Care Coordination And Management: Acceptability Study In Dementia, Ram Kinker Mishra, Catherine Park, Anmol Salim Momin, Nesreen El Rafaei, Mark Kunik, Michele K York, Bijan Najafi

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Introduction: The technology-driven solution can reduce the caregiving burden; however, the needs of dementia caregiving are unique, and attitudes towards adopting technology from the perspectives of all the stakeholders involved in dementia caregiving are unclear. This study aims to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a technology-driven platform to facilitate care coordination platform, Care4AD, from the end-user perspective.

Methods: Care4AD includes three components: (1) Care4AD app: the app is used by caregivers to coordinate care, monitor physical activity, and schedule reminders; (2) Care4AD tablet: a smart tablet is used by the care recipient to display scheduled reminders; and (3) Care4AD …

An Exploration Of Service Needs And Preferences Of Dementia Caregivers In Kentucky, Heehyul Moon, Sunshine Rote, Allison Kacmar, Amy Kostelic, Bari Lewis

Journal of Extension

As Americans live longer, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will increase. Caregivers are critical to the care and life quality of people with dementia. Yet, dementia caregivers are at increased risk for health issues, social isolation, and financial challenges. To help educators with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service work with their local Alzheimer’s Association and the University of Louisville to better support dementia families, we explored caregiver needs and service utilization using an online survey. Our findings highlighted the need for counseling/support, care management skills, resource education, self-care strategies, and legal services. Extension Service Educators …

Impact Of Montessori-Based Dementia Programming On Engagement And Affect Of Older Adults With Dementia, Meredith S. Sheppard

Master's Projects and Capstones

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the Adult Day Services program and Adult Day programs across the country. As the Adult Day Services program transitions to an in-person format, goals within the organization include developing appropriate programming, increasing group size, and keeping clients entertained. The framework guiding this quality improvement project is Montessori-Based Dementia Programming ® (MBDP). This project aims to increase client engagement, decrease client anxiety, and decrease staff workload. This will be measured by a self-developed staff workload survey, the Menorah-Park Engagement, and the Affect rating scale. Implementation of MBDP at the Adult Day Center did not meet …

Using Wearable Sensors To Measure Goal Achievement In Older Veterans With Dementia, Jennifer Freytag, Ram Kinker Mishra, Richard L Street, Angela Catic, Lilian Dindo, Lea Kiefer, Bijan Najafi, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Aligning treatment with patients’ self-determined goals and health priorities is challenging in dementia care. Wearable-based remote health monitoring may facilitate determining the active participation of individuals with dementia towards achieving the determined goals. The present study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using wearables to assess healthcare goals set by older adults with cognitive impairment. We present four specific cases that assess (1) the feasibility of using wearables to monitor healthcare goals, (2) differences in function after goal-setting visits, and (3) goal achievement. Older veterans (n = 17) with cognitive impairment completed self-report assessments of mobility, then had an …

Tele-Medicine Based And Self-Administered Interactive Exercise Program (Tele-Exergame) To Improve Cognition In Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment Or Dementia: A Feasibility, Acceptability, And Proof-Of-Concept Study, Catherine Park, Ram Kinker Mishra, Michele K York, Ana Enriquez, Abigail Lindsay, Gregory Barchard, Ashkan Vaziri, Bijan Najafi

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Improved life expectancy is increasing the number of older adults who suffer from motor-cognitive decline. Unfortunately, conventional balance exercise programs are not tailored to patients with cognitive impairments, and exercise adherence is often poor due to unsupervised settings. This study describes the acceptability and feasibility of a sensor-based in-home interactive exercise system, called tele-Exergame, used by older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Our tele-Exergame is specifically designed to improve balance and cognition during distractive conditioning while a telemedicine interface remotely supervises the exercise, and its exercises are gamified balance tasks with explicit augmented visual feedback. Fourteen adults …

Effect Of Renin-Angiotensin System Antihypertensive Medication Use On Cognitive Function In Diabetes Mellitus With Obesity Or Overweight: An Ancillary Study To The Action For Health In Diabetes (Look Ahead) Trial, Whitney Wharton, Andrea Anderson, Kathleen M. Hayden, Owen T. Carmichael, Jeanne M. Clark, José A. Luchsinger, Mark Espeland, Sevil Yasar

Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Aim: To determine whether antihypertensive medication (AHM) acting through the renin angiotensin system (RAS-AHM), compared with other AHM, can mitigate effects on cognitive function and risk for impairment in a population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: This secondary analysis of the randomized controlled Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) study included 712 community-dwelling participants who were followed over 15 years. Logistic regression was used to relate RAS-AHM use to cognitive impairment, and linear regression was used to relate RAS-AHM use to domain-specific cognitive function after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 563 individuals …