In addition to being a Memory Matters-certified Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) facilitator and health coach, Jill holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where she conducted research in physiology and biochemistry. After ten years’ professional experience providing care for people living with dementia, she has founded forBetterMinds to make the science-based benefits of CST widely available through an easily accessible virtual platform. The scientifically proven benefits of CST for cognition, language, and confidence mean that people with dementia or cognitive impairment can face the future with empowerment and hope.
The treatment of dementia through Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) was pioneered by scientists at University College, London, in the 1990s. Their approach is to focus on “implicit memory” (drawing out opinions rather than right or wrong answers), and to continually encourage new ideas, thoughts and associations, rather than just recall. While in a non-threatening and supportive environment with a forBetterMinds Coach, this approach aims to build on the strengths of people with dementia, reducing the chance of failure and increasing confidence.
This new CST approach has been demonstrated to improve people’s results in the standard tests to measure cognitive health: the Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale – Cognition (ADAS–Cog), and the Quality of Life – Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL–AD).1 These results are achieved through pleasant, encouraging interactions with a forBetterMinds Coach.
The British approach to CST has been in clinical use in the UK and Europe for over twenty years. Before 2020, it was mostly offered through in-person group sessions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, British researchers began testing whether CST could also be effectively delivered through videoconferencing. They were excited to discover that virtual sessions had the same beneficial results as in-person sessions. These telehealth advances meant that the benefits of CST were no longer restricted to people who lived near a CST facilitator.
The mission of forBetterMinds is to make the scientifically proven benefits of CST available to people across North America and to make it possible for people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia to take advantage of this enjoyable, uplifting therapy in their own homes, no matter where they live.
References
1Spector, A., Thorgrimsen, L., Woods, B., Royan, L., Davies, S., Butterworth, M., & Orrell, M. (2003). Efficacy of an evidence-based cognitive stimulation therapy programme for people with dementia: Randomised controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 183(3), 248-254. doi:10.1192/bjp.183.3.248
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