Title : Cogs Club: Making a difference
Abstract:
The NICE guidelines in November 2006 stated:
"People with mild / moderate dementia of all types should be given the opportunity to participate in a structured group cognitive stimulation programme. This should be commissioned and provided by a range of health and social care workers with training and supervision. This should be delivered irrespective of any anti-dementia drug received by the person with dementia".
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is an evidence based group programme of activity and stimulation grounded in person centred care which is normally run as a two hour session, twice a week, over seven weeks and can be run by professional staff or volunteers.
In Kent its importance is recognised and it is offered routinely by the local mental health teams. However after the sessions have finished the participants have nothing as stimulating to continue with.
COGS Clubs aim to fill this gap. It uses a variety of approaches and is consistent with Everybody’s Business (2005) which is committed to improving people’s quality of life, meeting complex needs in a co-ordinated way, providing a person-centred approach and promoting age equality
The activities are based on and run in the same structured way as a Cognitive Stimulation Therapy session but instead of two hours a COGS Club offers a day of activity, stimulation, music and fun for a person with mild dementia.
It provides the opportunity for them to recall and/or develop new skills and facilitate the transfer of these skills to activities at home. It values and respects the unique qualities of each individual, whilst giving a sense of connectedness. It also provides the family/carer/significant other with a day’s respite.
