Evaluation of the Meeting Center Support Programme for People with Dementia and Their Family Carers

The Meeting Centre Support Programme (MCSP) is a
community-based approach to supporting people with mild
to moderate dementia and their families, developed in the
Netherlands where they are now widespread. Evaluation
studies showed benefits including reduced behavioural and
mood problems, delayed admission to residential care, higher
levels of carer competence and lower levels of burden. The
JPND funded MeetingDem project aimed to implement and
evaluate Meeting Centres in the UK, Italy and Poland.
Our evaluation adopted a before and after control group
design with matched patient-carer dyads. In each country we
compared a minimum of 25 dyads using the MCSP with 25
receiving ‘usual care. Baseline data were collected at month 1
with a follow up at month 7. Validated measures were used
to assess quality of life, depression, social support and caregiver
competence. Data were also collected on intervention
costs and the use of other services in order to allow a cost effectiveness analysis. Finally, surveys and focus groups were
used to evaluate user satisfaction with the MCSP.
Initial findings suggest significant effects for MCSP compared
to usual care, including reduced behavioural problems
and improved caregiver coping. This presentation will
describe the MCSP approach, present the full evaluation findings
and consider the potential for wider implementation.