Integrating Mindfulness for Patients with Dementia and their Carers (IMPACT-D)

For newly diagnosed dementia patients and their carers.

We have developed and delivered a highly innovative IMPaCT-D programme which integrates Mindfulness for individuals living with dementia and their carers / partners.

IMPaCT-D

The development of this programme:

The proportion of over 65s in the UK is projected to rise to 25% by 2050 and the number of over 85s set to double, there is a clear need for more organisations like ours to support the NHS and address the needs of this vulnerable and growing demographic. According to recent data, dementia has surpassed cancer as the leading cause of death in the UK.

Mindfulness is one of the NHS’s evidence-based 5 Steps to Mental Well-being and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for people struggling with their mood. It is especially relevant to older people, who can be particularly susceptible to the side-effects of medications and the ageing process generally.

The success of the IMPaCT-C programme we developed for children has led us to develop a parallel programme for newly diagnosed individuals with dementia and their carers which aims to improve not only the wellbeing and happiness of our new target group but also that of their carers.

This programme offers a number of benefits:

  • The introduction of newly diagnosed individuals to group activities. Both the individual and carer are helped to better manage difficult or stressful situations when the patient may panic, seek reassurance or struggle to concentrate. (For example, in managing a panic attack in a supermarket a breathing exercise can be deployed to take away the external pressure and enable the client and carer to refocus, re-frame and move on)
  • Support for both the patient and their carer on learning new skills and as a result, creating better partnering between them and giving them something new and positive to focus on and learn together
  • Provision of an additional tool in the toolbox of the carer to better manage the patient out of hours
  • Maintaining patients in their own homes for longer periods of time before care homes or alternative care arrangements are required by better preparing both the patient and their carer with new skills to cope with the potential difficulties as the illness progresses

The IMPaCT-D Programme:

This course has been developed, delivered and refined by our experienced Teacher Kate Elliott, supported by our Chair, Dr Neil Pillai, who practises as a local GP with a special interest in older patients’ care. Both are very well placed to teach and oversee the development of this programme.

The course is led by a suitably trained Mindfulness teacher and a co-facilitator and delivered to 6 participants and their carers in two-hour sessions on a weekly basis for 6 weeks.

We have had very good feedback from our first course.

Quotes from previous participants:

“It was incredibly helpful.  Such a warm welcome. We found new friends in similar situations as our own where we can share experiences. In general, it has taught us a lot about ourselves and how to cope on a daily basis.”

 

“It has taught me to appreciate where my partner is coming from and to be more tolerant and that we can't be perfect: it’s not you it’s the dementia.“

 

 “When you’ve been diagnosed you feel isolated from everyone else but to be in a group together means you don’t feel that different anymore.“