Trinity Researchers Seek To Transform Dementia Landscape
Posted on: 04 February 2016
The Health Research Board and Atlantic Philanthropies today announced an investment of €4.5 million into research on dementia. Two Trinity academics are to benefit from the fund.
Professor in medical gerontology Desmond O’Neill has secured €265,000 to complete a two-year project examining ‘Dementia Friendly Hospitals: Opportunities, Barriers, Costs and Solutions’.
Professor O’Neill’s study will centre on issues surrounding the design of dementia-friendly hospitals in conjunction with TrinityHaus. The final output will be a dementia-friendly design manual to underpin any future HSE guidelines.
Speaking on the award, Prof O’Neill commented: “This award is very welcome as it not only addresses the key issue of dementia-friendly design for people living with dementia who are frequent users of hospital services, but also builds on existing strengths and track record of dementia and inclusive design within the School of Medicine and TrinityHaus in TCD.”
A second award was won by Associate Professor in Clinical Speech and Language Studies Dr Margaret Walshe. Dr Walshe also secured €265,000 for her two-year project entitled ‘Validation of the Profile for Communication Abilities in Dementia (P-CAD)’.
Communication difficulties are an inherent part of dementia, causing frustration, anxiety and misunderstanding for the person with dementia and also their family and caregivers. Therefore communicating successfully not only improves quality of life but also preserves a sense of identity.
Dr Walshe’s P-CAD tool will track changes in communication over time and therefore assist speech and language therapists to identify suitable communication supports as dementia progresses.
Dr Walshe commented: “We are really delighted to be awarded this grant. There are approximately 41,700 people with dementia in Ireland at present with over 4,000 new cases of dementia diagnosed annually. Almost all people with dementia will have communication difficulties as the condition progresses yet these difficulties have received limited attention to date.
“There is much, as a profession, that we can do to preserve function and improve the ability to communicate effectively. The P-CAD was originally devised by Suzanna Dooley, a speech and language therapist at the HSE. The pilot version showed an increase in early detection of difficulty and improved the quality of care around facilitating communication.”
Ireland’s national dementia strategy is focused on improving the quality of life for people with dementia and those caring for them. This investment by the Health Research Board and Atlantic Philanthropies will have tangible effects on dementia-sufferers’ lives and improve how healthcare services are delivered.