Clinical trial NCT01818778: The Efficacy of Using Volunteers to Implement a Cognitive Stimulation Program in Two Long-Term Care Homes
Official title: The Efficacy of Using Volunteers to Implement a Cognitive Stimulation Program in Two Long-Term Care Homes
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Impaired Cognition
Geriatric Disorder
Learning Disorders
Age-Related Memory Disorders
Impairment of Attention
Lead sponsor: Queen's University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Baycrest
First posted: 2013-03-26
Enrollment: 52
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: Many volunteers visiting seniors make socially-based "friendly visits". This study investigated the efficacy of volunteers making visits focused on stimulating cognition. Participants were randomly assigned to either a "friendly visit" control group or a cognitive stimulation group. Seniors receiving stimulation visits made statistically significant improvement in memory abilities.

Detailed description: Older adults who maintain their cognitive skills and abilities are able to live more independently than those whose skills have deteriorated. The costs (money, time, personnel) associated with providing cognitive stimulation programs to residents in long-term care homes often prohibit the delivery of these programs. The present study explored the efficacy of using volunteers to administer a stimulation program in two long-term care homes. The program focused on stimulating reasoning, attention, and memory abilities using uncomplicated, pen-and-paper exercises. Thirty-six resident participants and 16 volunteer participants were randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups, either the control or stimulation group.

For eight weeks, three times each week, control group participants met for standard "friendly visits" (casual conversation between a resident and volunteer) and stimulation group participants met to work through a variety of exercises meant to stimulate the cognitive abilities of residents. Results were analyzed using a 2-way ANOVA and indicated statistically significant Group x Time interactions for Verbal Memory (F(1, 33) = 7.92, p = .008), Non-Verbal Memory (F(1, 33) = 6.8, p = .014), Learning (F(1, 33) = 5.27, p = .028), and Verbal Fluency (F (1, 33) = 5.56, p = .024).

Volunteers completed a post-study questionnaire which indicated that the volunteers in the stimulation group found their skills-based interactions more stimulating for residents. Given this showing of improved resident abilities, it is reasonable to assert that the study does demonstrate that a volunteer-administered, cognitive stimulation program can provide measurable gains in the cognitive abilities of older adults. Further studies concerning the role of volunteers in the maintenance of the cognitive abilities of older adults are recommended.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 65 years and over
* living in a long-term care home
* normal or corrected visual and auditory acuity
* English proficiency
* not currently using de-stabilizing, psychotropic medication known to impair cognition
* ability and willingness to actively listen to and accurately follow 2-step instructions for at least 20 consecutive minutes

Primary outcomes:
measure: Test of Memory and Learning - Senior Edition (TOMAL-SE)
timeFrame: 10 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition (WASI-II; Wechsler, 2011)
timeFrame: 10 weeks
Other outcomes:
measure: Letter Sorting Test
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Clock Drawing Test
timeFrame: 10 weeks
measure: Action "Verbal Fluency" Test
timeFrame: 10 weeks
Locations:
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: Baycrest
state: Ontario
Study officials:
affiliation: Queen's University
name: John Kirby, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: