SUPPORTIVE SEMINAR GROUPS - AN INTERVENTION FOR EARLY-STAGE DEMENTIA PATIENTS

A supportive seminar group was developed and conducted for individuals with early stage dementia and their caregivers. The eight sessions fo cused on pertinent topics, namely, coping with memory problems, daily living, self-esteem, relationships, health, legal, and financial conce rns. Content analysis of the evaluative statements from nine men and s ix women patients revealed positive themes of feelings of purposefulne ss, gratification, belongingness, and survival, while other themes ref lected the turmoil of the disease, namely, feelings of helplessness, d evaluation, and unpredictability. These preliminary findings lend supp ort to the feasibility of a group approach for early stage dementia pa tients.