Dementia is frequently associated with negative assumptions concerning loss of memory and independence, rarely with personal agency and learning new things. A new study has found that contrary to commonly held beliefs, it is possible for people with dementia to continue to learn despite the condition.
Dementia is an umbrella term for multiple diagnoses with a collection of symptoms affecting cognition and behavior that progressively worsens over time. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form. Symptoms include memory and language loss, loss of problem-solving abilities and the ability to perform daily activities.
As part of his doctoral thesis through Linköping University, Sweden, Elias Ingebrand wanted to see how learning was affected by dementia. Mostly, he wanted to challenge the prevailing assumptions about people with dementia, namely, that they were passive and disengaged and struggled to interact socially.
Much previous research into dementia has focused on re-learning familiar activities, with some related to novel learning. But this novel learning typically involved learning nonsense words or remembering the names of random people. In his research, Ingebrand wanted to examine whether people with dementia could learn new skills in everyday, relatable social settings.
He gave computer tablets to 10 people with various forms of dementia, eight of whom lived in care facilities. None of them had used a tablet before. Supported by staff or a family member, the only instructions given to participants were to use the tablet however they wanted. Ingebrand and his colleagues video-recorded their interactions with the tablet and found that participants soon became curious about the device.
“I was rather surprised at this,” he said. “I may have expected that it would just lie there and that they would talk about something else, but we saw that they focused their attention on it.”
Despite severe memory loss and difficulties communicating verbally, over the course of four to six weeks, the participants gradually learned how to use the tablet more independently.
For example, a female participant who previously enjoyed orienteering spontaneously used the tablet to check competition results. Additionally, a man who was ordinarily aggressive and restless learned to navigate to the Open Archive of SVT, the Swedish national public television broadcaster and would sit and watch programs calmly.
Ingebrand also paired up dementia sufferers and found that they used the tablet without the help of staff or loved ones. He believes this is the first study of collaboration between people with dementia.
Based on his findings, Ingebrand says this type of learning can be used in dementia care, whether at home or in a care facility. The key, he says, is making the learning meaningful to the person.
“My thesis has an impact on how we look at people with dementia,” Ingebrand said. “They are not to be treated as children, but as people who still have a will and an incentive to do things. This is ultimately about having the opportunity to participate in meaningful activities based on the person’s own interests and desires.”
While he recognizes that staff in care facilities are busy and might not have time to sit down with one person for a long time, Ingebrand’s research suggests that collaboration between people with dementia is worth considering as an alternative. And he thinks that his approach could be expanded beyond the use of computer tablets.
“I want to take my research further by finding out how to make use of the knowledge and expertise of people with dementia in creating meaningful activities,” said Ingebrand. “Maybe someone could initiate an activity and teach others in the care facility. Perhaps a small seminar, or knitting. The right to lifelong learning should include everyone; the important thing is getting a chance to learn.”
Elias Ingebrand’s doctoral thesis can be found on the Linköping University website.
Source: Linköping University
