Event Date: Nov 26, 2020
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Recording
Pharmacological therapies for dementia have been developed but have limited efficacy and significant side effects. Thus, it is important to identify and provide recommendations on non-pharmacological interventions on individual and community levels for persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers to help them live well with dementia.
Our objectives were to identify non-pharmacological interventions, at individual and community levels, for community-dwelling PLWD and caregivers, and to determine recommendations. For the first time in the Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD), non-pharmacological interventions have been included and involved PLWD and caregivers.
We conducted a systematic review of reviews and rated recommendations using GRADE. Then, we used a Delphi process with more than 50 Canadian dementia experts representing PLWD and their caregivers, family physicians, other healthcare professional, researchers, and policy makers to obtain consensus on final recommendations.
Twenty-two reviews were included. Five recommendations were approved by expert consensus:
Recommendations at the individual level: Either group or individual physical exercise is recommended for PLWD as well as considering group cognitive stimulation therapy for persons living with mild to moderate dementia. For caregivers, psychosocial and psychoeducational interventions should be considered.
Recommendations at the community level: The development of dementia friendly organizations and communities is advised as well as the use of case management for PLWD.
We will develop additional recommendations for the sixth iteration of CCCDTD.