A Mindfulness Programme for People with Dementia in Care Homes: A Feasibility Pilot Study

Part 1 of the thesis is a literature review examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) for people with acquired cognitive impairment, and whether any modifications were made for this population. The 11 included papers are presented according to the type of acquired cognitive impairment. The effectiveness of the MBIs is considered for each type of acquired cognitive impairment according to different outcomes. This is followed by a discussion of common themes of modification to the MBIs for this population. Part 2 is an empirical study which investigated the feasibility and the potential benefits of an adapted mindfulness programme for people with mild to moderate dementia in care homes using a randomised controlled design. The process of intervention development and outcomes for quality of life, stress and cognition are reported. This paper forms part of a joint research study conducted with Churcher Clarke (2015). She will assess the feasibility of the programme and report outcomes for anxiety, depression and mindfulness. Part 3 is a critical appraisal. It will reflect on the process of conducting the research, including: strengths of the study, my qualitative observations of participants and the care home staff, the main challenges encountered during study design, recruitment, intervention delivery and implementation, and the implications for future research.