Personal message cards: An evaluation of an alternative method of delivering simulated presence therapy

Evans, Nina; Cheston, Richard; Harris, Nigel

Abstract

© 2015, © The Author(s) 2015. Simulated presence therapy is a technique which utilises a familiar recorded voice to calm and reassure people with dementia who are agitated or anxious. Although simulated presence therapy has shown potential benefits in small-scale studies, practical limitations in making and playing the recordings have restricted its use. An alternative method of delivering a message from an attachment figure is through a personal message card. This was one of seven products used within the Bath Memory Technology Library which was made available free of charge to people affected by dementia and their carers. This paper provides an evaluation of the personal message cards. Although feedback was received on only 10 of the 24 cards that were distributed, for nine people there was evidence that the cards met the goals that had been set either fully or in part, and that people affected by even quite severe levels of dementia could benefit from them.

Citation

Evans, N., Cheston, R., & Harris, N. (2016). Personal message cards: An evaluation of an alternative method of delivering simulated presence therapy. Dementia, 15(6), 1703-1715. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301215574363

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 16, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 14, 2016
• Journal: Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice
• Print ISSN: 1471-3012
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-2684
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1703-1715
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301215574363
• Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, anxiety, challenging behaviour, psychosocial interventions, technology, simulated presence therapy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/906720
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1471301215574363
• Related Public URLs: http://dem.sagepub.com/content/early/recent
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Published online before print March 11, 2015