Describe the general idea behind the ‘breakfast club’
- social event that can be used to facilitate social communication
- 3-6 members per club meet once a week for breakfast and talk
- members should be similar level of language ability
How has the breakfast club shown positive effects individuals with dementia?
-participants improve significantly on measures of language performance, functional independence and use of social communication
T or F: the breakfast club incorporates key components of communication tx reported in literature to be effective and successful
True
Pros of the breakfast club
- incorporates strategies that are proven to be successful in those with AD
- addressing physical and social environment, enhancing stimuli, group setting, including home-like environment, providing food, using positive reinforcement, and engaging in everyday social rituals
- participants made more spontaneous humorous comments, and empathetic statements, spontaneous singing
Cons of the breakfast club
- breakfast shared experience is culturally oriented
- tends to exclude patients with swallowing/feeding difficulties
- challenging to address different types of dementia
- transportation
- cost
Describe the bay crest conversational groups
- 5-6 members
- supervised by 1 SLP
- 1-2 volunteers run group
- 5 groups of patients total
- caregivers involved as well
What happens if there is more than 6 members in a conversational group?
it becomes less manageable and less enjoyable for members
what are the 3 goals of group intervention for PPA?
1) provide education specific to PPA
2) teach communication strategies
3) provide safe forum for exchange of ideas, practicing strategies and sharing experiences of PPA
What are some examples of language-based activities you can do in group therapy?
- fill in the blanks (movie titles, proverbs)
- phonemic and semantic category naming
- confrontation naming
- anomia game
- pictionary game
What are some non-verbal communication strategies that can be taught and practiced?
- key wording
- gestures
- drawing
- writing
- facial expressions
What were the results off the ASHA quality of communication life scale for the PPA group therapy?
- 2 maintained, 3 improved (not statistically significant)
- perception of themselves have changed
How did the scores on the QcCLS compare between the tx group and the control?
- control individuals demonstrated maintenance or decrease in QOL
- tx had maintenance or improvement
What were the results of the spousal questionnaire from the PPA group tx
Spouses had improvement in all areas (knowledge of PPA, awareness of progression, comm strategies, comfort level, problem solving, psychosocial issues and preparedness level)
What did patients in the PPA group tx say were the most helpful aspects?
- learning about PPA, proper nutrition, research in PPA & managing stress and depression
- feeling understood by others in group when experiencing difficulties with verbal communication
What did spouses in the PPA group tx say were the most helpful aspects?
- being with others who are dealing with PPA
- info about ongoing research programs
- learning about the nature and types of PPA
- support form multiple disciplines @ bay crest
-Overall group interventions are designed to do what 2 things
- foster social interactions and participation
- reduce behavioural and psychological symptoms that may hinder communication
