SHAPE is an international research project aiming to improve quality of life and well-being for people with early stage dementia.

What is SHAPE?

SHAPE stands for Self-management and HeAlth Promotion in Early-stage dementia with e-learning for carers.

The aim of SHAPE is to enhance the people with dementia’s belief in their own abilities to adapt and manage living with dementia. SHAPE provides a course with ten weekly group sessions for people with dementia where the participants will learn about dementia, decision-making, social interaction and healthy behaviours. Their care partners get information through an e-learning programme.

The SHAPE intervention is designed to meet the needs of people with dementia to maintain independence and dignity, improve health behaviours, plan the future together with the family and live well with the disease in their own home for as long as possible.

SHAPE is a randomised controlled trial. Norway, UK and Australia take part in the study. It is an EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research project, JPND

eSHAPE

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, SHAPE was converted into an online digital group course intervention called eSHAPE.
The participants receive iPads ready to for use. They join the group session by accepting an incoming call.
The use of the iPads allows the participants to come together despite geographical distances.

People with mild to moderate dementia over the age of 65 can take part. They must have a care partner who is willing to participate. Read the full list of participation criteria

 

eSHAPE – progression of the study

Recruitment ended July 2023.
Data collection will be finished in May 2024.

 

Participate

The recruitment of participants to eSHAPE is done differently in the three countries. Information specific to each country about the eSHAPE intervention and participation can be found below.

Project timeline

After recruitment of health care providers and training of group facilitators, the project was put on hold in March 2020 due to the pandemic. The intervention was converted into a digital group course intervention called eSHAPE, and group facilitators were trained to use eSHAPE.

Starting points
The start of  recruitment of participants to eSHAPE differs in the three countries. The timeline below has the starting point for the first country to start, which was Norway.

2021

Recruitment of health care providers

The health care providers will identify people with dementia and their care partners to take part in the intervention.

June 2021

Recruitment of participants for eSHAPE

August 2021

Baseline data collection by telephone

Interviews with the participating people with dementia and their care partners

September 2021

eSHAPE intervention

Group sessions for people with dementia and e-learning for their care partners

November 2021

Follow-up data collection by telephone

There were two follow-up interviews with the people with dementia and their care partners by telephone.
-The first follow-up interviews were done immediately after the course
-The second follow-up interviews were done 6 months after the first follow-up interviews

August 2023

Recruitment ended

UK - Recruitment ended April 30th 2023.
Australia - Recruitment ended in May 2023.
Norway - Recruitment ended in July 2023.

Why is SHAPE important?

For many people, a diagnosis of dementia can have a significant impact on confidence. It can really affect how well they feel able to cope with the challenges of everyday life. We’re investigating how we can best support and empower people to manage independently and to live as well as possible with dementia.

Linda Clare
Professor, University of Exeter

People with dementia need tailored information about dementia. To learn about dementia together with people who face similar challenges as themselves can be great support for many people

Carina Vrangen
Dementia resource team, Fredrikstad, Norway

We will test whether the SHAPE intervention can enhance quality of life, postpone admittance to care home and be cost effective.

Ingelin Testad
Professor, leader of SESAM and of the SHAPE project

Latest News

e-SHAPE

A milestone is reached. The first groups in e-SHAPE has started both in Norway and… Read more

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