The effects of structured Relearning methods on Daily Living task performance of persons with Dementia - a multi-site randomised controlled trial (REDALI-DEM)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Hüll
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2011 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 174098575

The REDALI-DEM study compares two structured Relearning methods regarding its effects on Daily Living task performance of community dwelling older persons with mild to moderate severe Dementia. The randomised controlled trial plans to include 175 patients from seven German study sites. All patients will receive fifteen one-to-one sessions of occupational therapy training on two selected tasks relevant for their daily living. One patient group will receive training in a common learning approach, the other group in a specific one. Each group will be treated in the same intensity but by separate occupational therapists, so that the therapists know only the learning approach they have to apply. Independent assessors blind to group assignment will measure the performance of the selected tasks before the treatment and one, six and sixteen weeks afterwards. Medical experts will monitor the patient’s course in cognition, behavioural problems and independence in activities of daily living. If structured learning approaches may help persons with dementia to relearn tasks relevant for their daily functioning, their loss of autonomy in daily life will be diminished. Care providers such as family carers, nurses, therapists or voluntary helpers can be provided with a guideline and seminars on structured and simple teaching techniques, which help to reduce the burden of care in dementia.

• DFG Programme: Clinical Trials
• Participating Person: Dr. Sebastian Voigt-Radloff, Ph.D.