Caring for Persons With Dementia and Their Caregivers in the Community

The study consists of two phases - i) a comprehensive assessment of biopsychosocial needs among cognitively impaired persons and their family caregivers residing in the Whampoa residential estate in Singapore ; ii) a quasi-experimental evaluation of a pilot community-based dementia care programme administered by a multidisciplinary team of service providers. The intervention is a physician-enhanced dementia-specific care management programme that supports client dyads for up to six months and through community care management, person-centred communication, management of challenging behaviours, psychoeducation, geriatric medicine, and gerontological approaches. The intervention team consists of a nurse, social worker, care manager, physician, and 'Dementia Care Program Assistants' who specifically design personalised meaningful activities to engage persons living with dementia as well as provide caregivers with training in basic dementia caregiving.