Aims
The Sustainable Personalised Interventions for Cognition, Care, and Engagement (SPICE) program is a 12-week, multidisciplinary, multicomponent intervention that provides community-based post-diagnostic support for people with dementia and their care partners. The SPICE program aims to improve quality of life, physical function, and cognition by offering tailored support and rehabilitation in an outpatient setting.
Methods
This study was a pragmatic waiting-list design including group (Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, care partner education, and physical activity) and dyadic (dietary advice, and the Care Of People with dementia in their Environments [COPE]) interventions. Key outcome measures include Dementia QoL (DEMQOL) and care partner DEMQOL, Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE-III) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q) assessed pre-intervention and post-intervention. Follow-up data collection will be completed in March 2025.
Results
Ninety-one people with dementia (mean age 78.2 ± 6.5; 39.2% female) and 91 care partners (mean age 71.6 ± 10.8; 60.8% female) completed the intervention across 14 groups, each containing 6-7 dyads. There were significant differences in QoL for people with dementia with DEMQOL scores increasing by a mean of 4.4 points (95% CI [2.36, 6.44]), DEMQOL-Proxy by 5.91 (95% CI [3.51, 8.31]), ACE-III mean scores increasing by 1.61 (95% CI [.35, 2.87]), and NPI-Q scores decreasing by a mean of 1.76 points (95% CI [.80, 2.72]). Significant improvements were also observed for physical outcomes for people with dementia and care partners.
Conclusion
The SPICE program shows that post-diagnosis support for people with dementia and care partners is achievable and beneficial. Wider implementation and sustainable adaptations are needed.