Table 2.

Course objectives and activities for each session

Overall course objectives:

(1) Participants feel more able to communicate their feelings and needs to their family and friends

(2) Participants feel more able to maintain an active lifestyle through goal setting and scheduling of pleasurable activities and events

(3) Participants experience an improved quality of life and psychological wellbeing

(4) Participants are more aware of strategies for coping with changing memory and have the opportunity to share their strategies

(5) Participants feel more able to access relevant information

Session	Brief description	Target addressed
Session 1
1.1 Opening and introduction	Introductions, outline of participants’ responsibilities	(Introductory material)
1.2 Course overview: what is self-management	Outline of course structure, content and aims	(Introductory material)
1.3 Gratitude activity	Identifying and sharing experiences to be thankful for. Generating and sharing positive emotions	Psychological wellbeing
Break
1.4 Practice better breathing	Introduction to diaphragmatic breathing	Psychological wellbeing
1.5 Prepare for change and goal setting	Identifying goals that are pleasurable and meaningful. Noting down and sharing goals. (Participants to share written copy of goal with family/friend and receive mid-week reminder phone call)	Maintaining an active lifestyle
Session 2
2.1 Feedback from goal setting and gratitude activity	Discuss outcome from 1.5, difficulties and successes. Discussing and sharing of completed gratitude activities from session 1.3	Maintaining an active lifestyle, psychological wellbeing
2.2 Relaxation	Practicing diaphragmatic breathing	Psychological wellbeing
2.3 Open Space discussion on living with dementia	Discuss the information participants have used, what is more or less useful, remaining questions and explore ways to seek out information	Information
Break
2.4 Staying active and healthy	Discuss the importance of staying active and healthy, including diet and exercise. Problem solving around how to stay active and healthy	Maintaining an active lifestyle
2.5 Goal setting	As in 1.5	As in 1.5
Session 3
3.1 Feedback from goal setting and gratitude activity	As in 2.1	As in 2.1
3.2 Relaxation	Practise diaphragmatic breathing focusing on one word associated with relaxation	Psychological wellbeing
3.3 Identifying personal strengths	Based on Seligman’s (2002) suggested activity, present participants with list of strengths then discuss which strength they identify with most	Psychological wellbeing
Break
3.4 Sharing memory tips and strategies	Express emotions around dealing with memory loss and share these experiences. Share strategies participants use which help reduce negative emotions around memory loss	Techniques to cope with memory change
3.5 Goal setting	As in 1.5	As in 1.5
Session 4
4.1 Feedback from goal setting and gratitude activity	As in 2.1	As in 2.1
4.2 Relaxation	Sensory relaxation activity with imagery of, e.g., walking through a garden on a summer’s day (or, if participants request more practice, return to activity 3.2)	Psychological wellbeing
4.3 Memory box	Share the idea of a memory box and how to make one (box of personal mementoes and photos important to the individual, often accompanied with brief written description). Encourage to again share emotions associated with memory loss and positive past memories	Techniques to cope with memory change
Break
4.4 Techniques to increase happiness	Building on personal strengths activity (3.3), discuss idea that doing activities we are good at can increase happiness. Discuss continued importance of enjoyment in life. Encourage participants to focus on strengths and set goals around this	Psychological wellbeing
4.5 Goal setting	As in 1.5	As in 1.5
Session 5
5.1 Feedback from goal setting and memory box	As in 2.1	As in 2.1
5.2 Relaxation	As in 4.2
5.3 Thinking about relationships	Discuss changes in personal relationships and emotions associated to this. Guide consideration of reasons for this. Consider importance of maintaining activity and how this may impact on relationships. (May illustrate with a story of a couple or family taken from tutor’s experience or Alzheimer’s Society online resources)	Relationships with family/friends/“carer”
Break
5.4 Negotiation in relationships	Consider the advantages and disadvantages of talking about emotions and difficulties with family/friends/carer, for example negotiation required around who does household chores Encourage participants to discuss any difficulties openly and plan how communication could be improved	Relationships with family/friends/“carer”
5.5 Goal setting	As in 1.5	As in 1.5
Session 6
6.1 Feedback from goal setting	As in 2.1	As in 2.1
6.2 Relaxation	As in 4.2	Psychological wellbeing
6.3 Working with health and social care professionals	Explore aspects of relationships with health and social care that work and do not work so well. Present and discuss list of commonly used improvement strategies including, e.g., booking double appointments and ensuring ask questions when information provided is too complex	Information
Break
6.4 Self-acceptance	Tutor first models and then asks participants to think of some negative characteristics, then some of their positive characteristics. Review idea that we are all a mixture of positive and negative	Psychological wellbeing
6.5 Sharing our successes	Share recent successes, including attending the course, enjoying the sessions, being more active and achieving goals for example	Psychological wellbeing
6.6 Course close and completion of feedback	Review course material. Collect feedback. Thank participants	Course end