MUSC’s new manual for navigating dementia

For an estimated 11% of Americans over age 65 who have dementia and the over 11 million unpaid caregivers supporting them, there is no instruction manual for navigating life after diagnosis. A team of College of Nursing researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina is working to fill that gap.

The team is led by Diana Layne, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor, and her mentor, Teresa Kelechi, Ph.D., associate dean for Research.

Layne brings her expertise in dementia research to the team, and her KL2 award from the South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute (SCTR) made this research possible. Kelechi, who serves as director of recruitment at SCTR, brings a rich background in geriatrics and dementia caregiver support. Their recent article published in Palliative and Supportive Care introduces a new structured virtual palliative care program – SUPPORT-D – designed to serve as a roadmap for the course of the illness.

The six-week program, adapted from a pulmonary fibrosis intervention introduced by Kathleen Lindell, Ph.D., R.N., the Mary Swain Endowed Chair in Palliative Care Health, includes a specially designed educational booklet and two meetings with a nurse interventionist. Patients and caregivers complete the structured course independently over several weeks, then meet with the nurse interventionist to personalize the program to their specific needs.