Abstract
There are 35 million people living with dementia worldwide. This number is expected to triple by 2050. Family caregiving remains the most common form of care, although researchers from around the world find that stress significantly typifies this experience. Additionally, persons are diagnosed earlier in the process, so that living with early-stage dementia is becoming more of a global reality. Yet few specific services exist to meet the needs of this population and their family caregivers. This project is an innovative approach that offers considerable promise for application beyond the San Francisco Bay area where it was conducted.
A guided tour of the equine facility, followed by two 5-hour workshops, focused on activities with horses, discussion groups and mindfulness practices led by trained staff. Activities with horses included observing herd behavior, grooming, leading them, and connecting with them over the fence - all were intended to teach non-verbal communication skills to both care partners and the person living with dementia (PWD). Reflection on these experiences was the discussion groups’ goal.
Pre/post-test design used standardized measures of stress, burden, mood, and social support for both care partners and PWD. Eighteen completed assessment (n=26): 9 dyads of care partners and PWD. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicated significantly increased positive perception of social support; greater reciprocity, awareness, upliftedness and appreciation of one another in dyads. Trends for improved mood in both members of the dyad were also noted. Future plans include partnering with other sites, expanding program’s positive outcomes on a larger scale.