ABSTRACT
This chapter explores cognitively based interventions that might be useful for supporting the well-being of people with dementia and their families, and familiarize the reader with the steps involved in developing interventions. The three approaches to cognitive intervention would seem to fit differently with different coping styles. The chapter considers autobiographical memory, prospective memory and meta-memory. It describes cognitive stimulation, cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation in a little more detail, citing the guiding principles, the application and mode of delivery and the evidence base. A recent study showed that improvements in self rated quality of life were maintained over six months in people with dementia who had the benefit of maintenance cognitive stimulation therapy sessions on a weekly basis following an initial more intensive programme. The development of person-centred cognitive-based interventions is in line with national and international policy, in a landscape where pharmaceutical interventions for people with dementia are limited.
