Professor Robert Howard

Lead investigators: Professor Robert Howard
Institution: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London
Grant type: Project
Grant amount: £270,312
Start date: December 2002
Completion date: November 2006
Scientific title: Can Enhanced Care reduce the severity of behavioural symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce the need for sedative medication in people with severe dementia

What was the project, and what did the researchers do?

Many people with dementia are prescribed antidepressants and tranquilisers, but there is little evidence that they are effective to improve behavioural symptoms. There are also significant costs and side-effects associated with long-term prescription of these drugs. The researchers carried out a randomised control trial of focused intervention training and support (FITS) for nursing home staff to help them to understand and intervene with people with behaviour they find problematic, without the need for medication.

 

What were the key results, and how will this help in the fight against dementia?

The results from the trial demonstrated that the use of tranquilisers can be reduced in nursing homes through the delivery of the FITS intervention, without a worsening of symptoms or quality of life for people with dementia.

 

What happened next? Future work and additional grants

This project has attracted interest from care service providers nationwide. The researchers will develop the results and learning from this project as a guidebook that is accessible to care home managers and consultants, which can be used to improve care provision. In support of this one of the researchers, Ms Jane Fossey, was awarded a dissemination grant 81: It's not what you know - it's the way that you do it. Putting theory into practice to improve care quality in Nursing Homes.

 

How were people told about the results? Conferences and Publications

Papers:
Fossey  J et al (2006) Can enhanced psychosocial care reduce the need for antipsychotic medication in people with severe dementia? A cluster randomised trial.  British Medical Journal 332 756-8. PMID: 16543297

 

Conferences:
Fossey J ( 2006)  Can Enhanced Care Reduce Neuroleptic Prescribing?  Paper given at Journal of Dementia Care Conference. Bournemouth
Fossey J et al (2006) Research update of psychological interventions in dementia care . Symposium at Journal of Dementia Care Conference. Bournemouth