Remembering to Do Versus Remembering Who: Exploring Spaced Retrieval Training for Long-Term Care Residents with Dementia

Abstract

By 2050, 1.7 million Canadians will live with dementia, with projected costs of $110 billion. Evidence-based interventions improving functional behaviours and independence in people with dementia are crucial. This study examines the effectiveness, efficiency, maintenance, and generalization of spaced retrieval training for people with dementia at risk of falls. Five residents with dementia in nursing homes with memory-related challenges in using mobility aids were recruited. They were trained on two goals: an individualized functional goal for mobility aid usage and a non-functional face-name association goal. A single-subject experimental design with multiple baselines across behaviours and participants was employed. Three participants learned both goals, one learned one goal, and one did not learn either goal. The trained functional goal was not learned in fewer sessions than the non-functional goal but was maintained longer for two participants. Generalization of functional behaviours was variable, with better generalization seen in training phases than maintenance.