Informal carers’ experience of delivering individual CST
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Informal carers’ experience of delivering individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy to a person living with dementia: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis
IRAS ID
325146
Contact name
Helen Scott
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Staffordshire University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 28 days
Research summary
Summary of Research:
The focus of the study is on Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST), an adapted version of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy which was developed in response to a recognition in the research on improving access to interventions and home care for people with dementia.In iCST, caregivers are trained to deliver cognitive stimulation therapy to a person living with dementia in their home environment. The principal aim of the research study is to qualitatively explore informal carers’ experience of delivering iCST to a person living with dementia, after carers have engaged in a three-session group training programme focusing on delivering cognitive stimulation therapy on an individual basis. In doing so, the study hopes to provide new, richer information on the positive and negative aspects underlying caregivers’ experience of administering iCST in the hope of furthering an understanding of how best to support those living with dementia and their caregivers.
To achieve this aim, semi-structured interviews will be used to collect data from eligible participants. Informal carer’s who have accessed the iCST training group during the recruitment period will be eligible to participate in the study. The interviews will be arranged to occur between eight to twelve weeks after the group has finished and are anticipated to last between approximately 30 minutes and one hour. Participants will be asked to talk about their experience of delivering the iCST intervention, as well as demographic information. The data from the interviews will be transcribed by the researcher and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
The iCST training group is currently delivered virtually by Midland’s Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT). It is likely therefore that subsequent participant interviews will also be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams, however they can also occur face-to-face at MPFT trust locations or participants home address depending on participant preference.
Summary of Results:
Background: In response to the need to improve access to interventions and home care for people living with dementia, an individual version of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) was developed. This research aimed to qualitatively explore informal caregivers’ experience of delivering iCST to a person living with dementia, building on limitations of previous research.Method: Seven participants were recruited following their engagement in a ‘train the carer’ iCST intervention group, in a Midlands based NHS trust. Semi-structured interviews were completed with participants 4 weeks after their engagement with the group, in order to ascertain their experience of participating in the iCST group but also their experiences of attempting to utilise iCST. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Three overarching themes and eight subthemes were identified including: Motivations to engage with iCST, “It’s just that it helps you to make the most of the day you’ve got”, and Challenges of implementing iCST into real life.
Conclusion: This research indicates iCST benefits caregivers, the person living with dementia, and the dyad collectively. There were however significant barriers to implementation, including the formality of the intervention, and caregivers’ competing demands. Further research exploring how to support caregivers in their implementation of caregiver-delivered interventions, with more diverse samples, is needed.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0098
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion