Journeying through Dementia Randomised Controlled Trial of a Psychosocial Intervention for People Living with Early Dementia: Embedded Qualitative Study with Participants, Carers and Interventionists

Figures & data

Table 1 Participant Characteristics

Characteristics	Participant (n=15)
Diagnosis	Alzheimer’s, n=6
	Frontotemporal, n=2
	Vascular, n=3
	Mixed, n=3
	Other – mild dementia, n=1
Age	Range, 67 –90
	Average, 77
Ethnicity	White British, n=14
	African/Asian, n=1
Gender	Female, n=7
	Male, n=8
MMSE score	Range, 20–29
	Average, 26
Living arrangements	Living alone, n=2
	Living with others, n=13

Table 2 Participating Carer Characteristics

Characteristic	Participating Carer (n=10)
Age	Range, 50–89
	Average, 71
Gender	Female, n=7
	Male, n=3
Relationship	Spouse, n=9 Child, n=1

Table 3 Spread of Participant Interviews by Participating Site and How They Were Conducted

	Total Number Approached		Declines		Number of Individual Interviews		Number of Joint^† Interviews
Site	Participants	Carers	Participants	Carers	Participants	Carers
1	6	5	1	1	3	2	2
2	5	5	2	2	3	3	0
3	3	1	0	0	3	1	0
4	5	3	1	1	2	0	2
Total	19	14	4	4	11	6	4

Note: ^†Where the participant and carer were interviewed together.

Table 4 Triangulation Protocol for Qualitative Analysis

Step	Activity	Source
1. Sorting	Sort the findings from each data source under the final classification framework to determine where there maybe overlap or divergence, presence, frequency and meaning.	Interview transcripts with participants, carers, facilitators and supervisors
2. Convergence coding	Identify key themes from each data source using coded examples to determine prominence and compare findings. Then compare a sample of coded examples with co-researcher interpretations from the perspective of people living with dementia.	Interview transcripts with participants, carers, facilitators and supervisors. Co-researcher workshop selected quotation.
3. Convergence agreement	Identify where there is agreement, divergent or ambivalent themes and interpretations between the two coding researchers and the researchers and co-researchers (people living with dementia).	Initial and modified analysis frameworks. Co-researcher workshop selected quotation.
4. Convergence assessment	Identify global assessment for level of agreement between multiple researchers (including the co-researchers) as well as acknowledging different perspectives.	Final classification framework.
5. Completeness	How results of the global assessment enhance the completeness of the overall findings and answer the research question.	Final classification framework.

Table 5 Themes Identified from Interview Data

1. Being Prepared	2. Intervention Engagement and Participation	3. Outcomes from Engagement
Intervention training Resources and time commitment	Eligibility Group dynamics Out of venue activities (outings) One-to-one sessions Intervention facilitation	Confidence through knowledge and gaining perspective Enjoyment, feeling valued or empowered Social contact and friendships

Table

Co-researchers	People either diagnosed and living with dementia or their carers
Facilitators/co-facilitators	NHS staff delivering the intervention
Interventionists	Group term for the facilitators/co-facilitators and supervisors who took part in the interviews
Supervisors	NHS staff supervising those delivering the intervention