Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Dementia Care
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Psychology and Communication Studies

Background:

• Communication impairments are early and progressive symptoms in people with dementia (PWD), leading to social isolation.
• Existing interventions to maintain emotional connection in long-term care are limited.
• Audiovisual co-viewing may enhance emotional communication, reduce caregiver burden, and increase empathy in dementia dyads.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of co-viewing audiovisual content on communication and emotional connection in dyads of PWD and caregivers.
• To explore caregiver perceptions of co-viewing as an intervention in long-term care settings.

Main Methods:

• Eight PWD and their caregivers (4 family, 4 professional) participated in a 3-week study.
• Participants engaged in 2-3 weekly 20-minute co-viewing sessions of nature, music, and humor clips.
• Caregivers were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of the intervention's impact.

Main Results:

• Co-viewing significantly enhanced communication and socialization within PWD-caregiver dyads.
• PWD exhibited increased verbal and nonverbal reactions, sustained attention, and reduced apathy during sessions.
• Caregivers reported improved understanding, connection, and a valuable communication tool for challenging interactions.

Conclusions:

• Co-viewing audiovisual content is a promising, adaptable strategy to promote emotional communication in caregiver-PWD dyads.
• The intervention shows potential for widespread implementation in long-term care facilities to improve dyadic relationships.
• Further research will analyze specific communication behaviors during co-viewing sessions.