Online Lifestory Book
(Online levensalbum voor mensen met beginnende dementie en hun naasten)
At present, about 260.000 people with dementia live in the Netherlands. This number will double over the coming twenty years. Dementia has a high burden for patients, informal caregivers and society. About two thirds of persons with dementia is estimated to live at home, but this number will increase given changes in long-term care. However, living at home with a good quality of life is not easy to achieve. Dementia is often accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms like apathy, agitation, hallucinations, depression, and anxiety. This is also related to the quality of life of the patient. Whereas the cognitive deterioration can hardly be influenced, it is possible to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms. A good fit with the personal world of the person with dementia is an important condition for interventions. Reminiscence interventions can contribute as the recollection of valuable personal memories can give feelings of pleasure and trust. Memories are part of the autobiographical memory system that remains intact for a relatively long time in dementia. The Online Life Story Book (OLSB) is an intervention that nicely ties in with these changes in care for persons with dementia. The current study therefore wants to assess the effectiveness of this intervention for people with early dementia and their informal caregivers.
Contact: Teuntje Elfrink
Funding: ZonMW Memorabel, Alzheimer Nederland, PGGM
Partner: Livio, UMCG Universitair Netwerk Ouderenzorg, Hello my dear, Stichting Informele Zorg Twente, Alifa
Published by: University of Twente
Recent publication:
Elfrink, T. E., Zuidema, S. U., Kunz, M., & Westerhof, G. J. (2018). Life story books for people with dementia: A systematic review. International Psychogeriatrics, 18, 1-15. Link