Encouraging togetherness and learning in dementia care
for the 12th National Dementia Care Awards
COGNITIVE STIMULATION THERAPY
CST is an evidence-based group treatment for people with mild to moderate dementia. It involves 14 or more sessions of stimulating, themed activities, based around more complex principles including learning theory and person-centred care. CST can be extended into a longer-term treatment and can be offered to a range of clients including outpatients and people in residential or day care.
The course is suitable for healthcare professionals including psychologists, occupational therapists and nurses as well as community-based organisations running meeting centres and day opportunities, health care assistants and managers within health and social care.
Learning Objectives:
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Recognise various explanatory models for dementia and the main therapeutic approaches used in dementia care.
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Understand how Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) was designed and evaluated.
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Be able to deliver CST to groups of people with dementia, and critically evaluate this process.
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Reflect on issues such as the selection of suitable participants, motivating people to participate and managing group dynamics.
Trainers:
Professor Aimee Spector, University College London, UK
Professor Spector developed CST as her PhD and has since been involved in several ongoing research trials. She has authored four CST training manuals, developed this course and has delivered it to over 2000 people worldwide. Aimee also has extensive clinical experience working with people with dementia and in facilitating CST groups. Dr Spector leads the CST training and is Director of the International CST Centre.
Dr Gemma Ridel
Dr Gemma Ridel
Gemma is a clinical psychologist currently working with people with dementia in Norfolk. She also lectures on the University of East Anglia Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programme. She has extensive experience of teaching, supervising and running CST groups. She was involved with the Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy trial, as Norfolk was one of the sites in the randomised controlled trial. She has provided many CST training workshops and conference presentations in the UK and Ireland.
Dr Helen Donovan
Dr Helen Donovan qualified in 1994 in Australia as a clinical psychologist, and has worked in older people’s mental health in both Australia and the UK for more than fifteen years. She has been the psychology lead for older people in Bedfordshire mental health services since 2003. She became involved with Cognitive Stimulation Therapy in 2006 after Aimee Spector joined the Trust, and has been involved in CST groups, supervision, training and research since that time. She was part of the SHIELD research team, with Bedfordshire as one of the sites in the randomised controlled trial of Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy. She has provided many CST training workshops and conference presentations in the UK and Australia.
Dr Helen Donovan
We currently offer the CST training online via Zoom and the cost per delegate is £100. Our Open Course Programme will provide you with course dates currently available to book online.
We offer discount for family carers, to take advantage of this special offer, please contact info@dementiapathfinders.org or call 0845 257 2250.
Further CST training dates are also available to book via the University College London website and can be booked by following the link below:
CST Training with Dr Helen Donovan
CST Training with Aimee Spector
What does the training involve?
Training is led by a Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience in offering CST. Training is interactive, involving group exercises, role-play and video observation as well as some ‘teaching’.
Course Aim:
To give learners an overview of how to deliver Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST). CST is a brief evidence-based group treatment for people with dementia. This interactive course will include a background about CST and how it can be used, research overview and detailed presentation of the treatment, including DVD footage and role-play.