Introduction to Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
Amendments September 2020 as applied to Covid-19 restrictions of Joint Staff Training, agreed with Italian NA
An Overview and Introduction to specific Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Training, as developed by University College London
Overview
Cognitive skills are the skills the brain uses to think, learn, remember, problem solve and communicate. There are a number of approaches (interventions) to help people with dementia improve their memory and thinking skills and to cope with memory loss, one of these is Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST).
CST has been developed by reviewing the best available research on approaches to improve cognitive skills for people with dementia.
The CST delivered by the particular training programme developed by University College London (UCL) is based upon evidence and is very specific to a set programme, with activites and sessions as specified.
In the UK, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with mild to moderate dementia should be given the opportunity to take part in a CST programme.
There is a printed training manual and DVD with information on how the therapy sessions should be carried out. There is also Maintenance CST (MCST); this is mentioned later.
Some key points:
• CST helps the memory and thinking (cognitive) skills of people with mild to moderate dementia
• people with dementia who took part in CST said that there was an improvement in the quality of their daily life
• CST offers value for money (is cost effective)
Watch these 2 videos
Aimee Spector talking about CST
Martin Orrell talking about CST and the growth of use internationally