Abstract

The Kintun Program is an innovating health intervention project launched in Chile in 2013. It aims to enhance participation of persons with dementia (PwD) in everyday activities, respite for the caregivers and improve home-based care. The program involves different components including day care center, home visits, training for caregivers, counseling and community education. These actions are developed by a multidisciplinary team. This program represents a novel approach to dementia care in Chile as a country with policies and dementia care strategies still under development. To analyze the effect of the Program Kintun on the PwD, a quasi-experimental study was conducted during the implementation of the program, with repeated measures at baseline (T.0.) and after 10–14 weeks of intervention (T1) during September 2013 and June 2014. Data were collected using: ADCS-ADL (activities of daily living), MMSE (cognition), TUG (fall risk) and NPI-Q (neuro-psychiatric behaviors and distress). Data were analyzed with t-student considering p<0,05 and 95% CI. Final sample included 35 PwD, mean age 77,3 ± 8,14, 54,3% (19) women. Dementia severity 51,4%(18) mild, 42,9%(15) moderate, and 5,7%(3) moderate-severe. Cognition, activities of daily living, and distress scores show no difference (MMSE: T.0= 13.7 ± 5.51 and T.1=13.9 ± 5.64, dif=0.27, p=0.713; ADCS-ADL: T.0= 46.7 ± 16.34 and T.1= 48.7 ± 17,46, dif=2.0, p=0.293; NPI-Dis: T.0=14.7 ± 10.40 and T.1=12,9 ± 11,49, dif=1.85, p=0.267). Fall risk and neuro-psychiatric behaviors scores show improvement (TUG: T.0=16.7 ± 7.18 and T.1=12.68 ± 3.18, dif=4.05, p<0.001; NPI-Q: T.0=23.4 ± 11.92 and T.1=18.5 ± 11.51, dif=3.92, p<0.45). The Kintun Program shows positive effects on neuro-psychiatric behaviors, fall risk and maintain cognition and activities of daily living.