This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Diana Layne about research underway in SC to develop early support and guidance for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Dr. Layne is an Assistant Professor and researcher in the College of Nursing at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Research is underway in South Carolina to develop early support, guidance and education for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Doctor Diana Layne is here to talk about the details. Doctor Layne is an Assistant Professor and researcher in the College of Nursing at MUSC. Doctor Layne, you've been involved in dementia related research for years. What are some of the challenges that individuals with dementia and also their families or caregivers face in those early stages of dementia?
Dr. Layne: The biggest challenge that these individuals face is actually getting to a diagnosis. There's a shortage of neurologists right now. So, part of the challenge is even identifying if dementia is the thing that they're suffering with. And once they get to that diagnosis, oftentimes that happens in primary care at their primary doctor's office, but then they have to go see a specialist, which is where neurology comes in. So, the time between the suspicion of a diagnosis and actually getting to talk with an expert is pretty long. And in the meantime, they're finding information on the internet which may be helping them, but it also may be causing more confusion.
Conner: Tell us about the SUPPORT-D research and program that you lead at MUSC that addresses some of the early challenges of dementia.
Dr. Layne: This is a six week program that we developed for use with individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. And essentially what happens is individuals spend six weeks looking at a SUPPORT-D booklet, and they have two visits with an interventionist that really focus on planning for their care. This particular program provides information on understanding the disease. It provides information for the individual living with the illness, how they can manage their care for as long as possible. We want to maximize their independence. Then the third part is focused on caring for the caregiver, so strategies to help them maintain their well-being over the long course of care. And then finally, the last part is about planning for their future. Having all of
those important conversations is really critical early in these phases of dementia, because at that point, the individual who's living with it, most often can communicate what their wishes and desires are.
Conner: And so, the participants that are involved are both the individual with dementia and the caregivers. And you've tailored something for each of those two people as far as information and support?
Dr. Layne: Yes, exactly.
Conner: And I understand palliative care is part of the concept here. Explain that.
Dr. Layne: So, this patient population has not been introduced to palliative care early in their trajectory. A lot of people confuse palliative care with hospice. Hospice is designed for individuals who are thought to be within their last six months of life, where palliative care is really designed at any stage of an illness and is designed to be an extra layer of support to help manage symptoms. You can receive curative treatment while you're receiving palliative care.
Conner: And I understand this research program has been going on for about three years. What are the preliminary results so far?
Dr. Layne: Preliminarily, both caregivers and individuals living with the illness really liked the program. They suggested that we add a few components, and we're in the process of submitting another grant application to support additional research on the program, after we add information on mindfulness and physical activity for the caregiver as well as social support. That's another common thing that individuals who are caring for folks with dementia struggle with, because as the disease progresses, it becomes more difficult to leave that individual alone. And so there are lots of challenges that come with that in terms of being able to maintain those social relationships.
Conner: Doctor Layne, thanks for talking with us about the SUPPORT-D, Dementia research program.
Dr. Layne: Thank you. It's been a pleasure to be here with you today.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
