A recent Cochrane review of Cognitive Stimulation has concluded that ‘cognitive stimulation programmes benefit cognition in people with mild to moderate dementia over and above any medication effects.’ CST is starting to be used in community, care home and hospital settings and was also strongly endorsed by the latest World Alzheimers Report.
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is a psychosocial, evidence-based, group intervention for people with dementia recommended by the UK NICE guidelines. In clinical trials, CST has been shown to improve cognition and quality of life and matched the impact of the current anti-dementia medication. Simple to run, fun to participate in and cost effective according to an LSE study, CST is starting to benefit people in hospitals, living in care homes and the community. Run in small groups by a trained facilitator CST provides an opportunity for respite for carers and the possibility of a peer support and carer training as well as an evidenced based intervention that could save the NHS over £53 million pa over the use of anti-psychotics according to an economic evaluation by the NHS Institute.
The recent Cochrane review of Cognitive Stimulation concluded ‘There was consistent evidence from multiple trials that ‘cognitive stimulation programmes benefit cognition in people with mild to moderate dementia over and above any medication effects.’ CST was also strongly endorsed by the latest World Alzheimers Report.
Open training courses are run through Dementia UK and in-house through www.cstdementia.com and the well designed guide books ‘Making A Difference I & II’ are available through Amazon.