Preliminary Findings of an Active Multicomponent Lifestyle Intervention for People with Dementia and Their Carers: Mixed Methods Study

Table 1

The multicomponent SPICE intervention implemented over twelve weeks.

Component	Description	Schedule	Participants	Facilitator(s)
(1) Cognitive stimulation therapy	Small group, strength-based intervention designed to encourage cognitive activity, adapted from the United Kingdom and a Cochrane review to provide a more culturally appropriate iteration for Australia. It includes storytelling, word games, and reminiscence to encourage memory recall of the past and memory formation during the present	2 × 12 weeks Wednesday and Friday (1 hour each)	People with dementia	Occupational therapist and allied health assistant
(2) Social, emotional, and resilience education and capacity building	Psychoeducational group for carers to communicate and learn from allied health professionals about caring for a person with dementia. It aims to provide actionable information to improve quality of life of the dyad and self-efficacy of the carer via strategies for behavioural changes, self-care, and mindfulness. The structure of this component is presented in Supplementary Materials 1	1 × 12 weeks Wednesday (1 hour)	Carers	Varied each week but included occupational therapist, social worker, clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist, speech pathologist, and pharmacist
(3) Physical activity	Structured, repeated, circuit-based exercise program; modifiable to the capabilities of each participant. Selected exercises target balance, lower and upper limb strength, dual tasking, and cardiovascular fitness. Some exercises also focus on building bone strength and density through high-impact actions. Exercises were selected to reduce the person with dementia’s risk of falling and improve general physical health and quality of life	2 × 12 weeks Wednesday and Friday (1 hour each)	People with dementia and carers	Physiotherapist and allied health assistant
(4) Care of people with dementia in their environment (COPE) program	COPE is a structured eight to ten session intervention provided in the participant’s home and delivered by a COPE-trained occupational therapist. Sessions focus on identifying meaningful engagement opportunities as well as supporting carers to implement strategies for managing identified care challenges. The two recommended consultations by a nurse were not included	1 × 10 weeks by appointment (1 hour each)	People with dementia and carers	Occupational therapist
(5) Dietary assessment and advice	Consists of a dietary evaluation, and individualised dietary advice, education, and counselling focussed on making subtle and achievable changes to the diet of the person with dementia. One session is conducted online to discuss foods already in the home	1 × 3 weeks by appointment (1 hour and 2 × 45 minutes)	People with dementia (also attended by carer)	Dietitian and assistant

Note. Components 1 and 2 were completed concurrently at the University of Canberra Hospital, followed by a 30 minute group afternoon tea prior to component 3. Key.  = physical activity is optional for carers but was completed by all group one carers.