Improving anxiety assessment and management in people with cognitive impairment and dementia: Validation of an informant measure and pilot testing of a multi-component behavioural intervention.

INTERVENTION: This is a pilot study of a 12 week multi‐component behavioural intervention for people with dementia with clinically significant anxiety. The behavioural intervention will engage both the person with dementia and an unpaid caregiver. Components will include psychoeducation, anxiety monitoring, relaxation training, activity scheduling, and a sleep intervention. The sleep intervention will provide participants with techniques to improve night‐time sleep. The focus will be on helping family members to better manage anxiety and associated behaviours. The program will be conducted by trained personnel. The sessions will be weekly and each session will last approximately 40 minutes. CONDITION: anxiety in cognitively impaired people PRIMARY OUTCOME: % of patients with GAI anxiety score <10 Feasibility of study will be assessed through compliance with the protocol. SECONDARY OUTCOME: % of patients showing improved QOL‐AD scores % of patients with HAM‐A scores <17 % of patients with improved IQAD scores INCLUSION CRITERIA: patients of RBWH memory clinic with cognitive impairment and significant anxiety symptoms informant who has regular contact with participant able to understand english at least 60 years of age