The CoDAQ study investigated whether speech and language therapy services adequately support the quality-of-life needs of people with dementia and their caregivers in the UK.

The study was led and conducted by  Anna Hockey, Speech and Language Therapist and PhD student at University College London, Debbie Moll, Oxford Health Clinical Research Facility Team Lead and Research Speech and Language Therapist, Jemima Littlejohns, OH FT Research Training and Development Manager, Zoe Collett OHFT Clinical Research Facilitator, and Professor Catherine Henshall OHFT Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professional Research Lead.

The study started when Anna, Debbie, Jemima and Zoe worked in the OHFT Memory and Cognition Research Delivery Team and was funded by Oxfordshire Health Services Research Committee (OHSRC) Research Grants.

The study paper, “Access to communication support for community-dwelling people with dementia: A mixed methods study exploring local perspectives within the United Kingdom context,” was published recently in the Age and Ageing Journal.

The study involved:

• An online survey of over 70 speech and language therapists (SLTs) across the UK, examining the type and availability of communication interventions for people with dementia
• Interviews with people with dementia and their relatives, exploring their experiences with communication difficulties and the support they received
• Two focus groups with NHS Trust staff, including SLTs and dementia healthcare professionals, discussing service provision and identifying communication strategies

The findings highlight the inconsistent and limited communication support available to people with dementia. Despite professional guidelines recommending access to communication interventions, such as speech and language therapy (SLT), the study found that the availability and type of support varied widely across different regions.

Debbie Moll said: “This study adds to the growing evidence of challenges faced by people with dementia and their families, highlighting the critical need for communication support services to enhance the quality of life of people affected by dementia. We are grateful for the support and guidance we have received from Oxford Health Research and Development Team.”

Findings of the study was presented last year at the International Mental Health Nursing Research Conference in Oxford.

Email the R&D team at OHFT on: research@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk