The Promoting Activity, Independence and Stability in Early Dementia (PrAISED) project is a dementia study led by Professor Rowan Harwood of Nottingham University. The health economics component of this study is led by Professor Rhiannon Tudor-Edwards, Dr Victory Ezeofor and Ned Hartfiel from the Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation, Bangor University. The PrAISED programme has been designed to help people with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia to remain healthier and more independent for longer. The study aims to better understand the practicalities of exercise and activity-based interventions in increasing patient abilities, reducing falls, and slowing down the decline in cognition.
The programme consists of a combination of exercises, activities of daily living and memory strategies to help improve and maintain the physical and mental health of people with early dementia and their carers. The programme involves home support from occupational therapists, physiotherapists and rehabilitation support workers over one year. The number of home visits from health professionals depends on peoples’ needs and preferences.
A social return on investment (SROI) evaluation conducted by Bangor University will explore the health outcomes for people living with early dementia and their carers. Measuring the social value generated by PrAISED will help establish an evidence-base for intervention designed to support people with early-stage dementia.
The cost-effectiveness evaluation will examine variants of exercise intervention with higher and lower degrees of supervision. This evaluation is conducted on the basis that a lower intensity support intervention would be less expensive to deliver but may not ensure long-term adherence presumed necessary for benefits to be seen, whilst more intensive supervision will be more costly but may be more effective.
The study is based upon work that has been conducted over several years while examining and contributing to a wide body of physiological evidence that links exercise to improved outcomes. Since preventive approaches are poorly suited to people with dementia and are of uncertain effectiveness, this study will generate substantial new knowledge on motivation and adherence to be investigated using a decision analytical model analysis to better understand dementia and the patients.
Read more about this study:
