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Background: There is a pressing need for effective and affordable interventions to support quality of life and cognition in people with dementia. Many psychosocial interventions are developed but few are delivered at scale and in routine practice. Group Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is the only non‐pharmacological treatment recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to improve cognition and wellbeing in mild to moderate dementia, and its global implementation has been recommended by Alzheimer's Disease International. CST has been culturally adapted for use in at least 36 countries, but this has not resulted in widespread delivery in routine practice. Methods: Methodology consisted of four phases 1) Exploring barriers to implementation through stakeholder engagement with clinicians, policy‐makers, people with dementia and caregivers; 2) Development of implementation plans for each country; 3) A mixed‐methods pre‐post study of CST in each country (total n = 103), exploring feasibility, acceptability, cost and outcomes including cognition and quality of life; and 4) Refinement of implementation strategies, with an aim of creating ongoing and sustainable CST programmes. Results: Implementation plans were developed for each country based on stakeholder engagement. CST delivery took place virtually in Brazil and India due to the Covid‐19 pandemic. We will present the barriers and facilitators to CST implementation in different settings based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), and reflect on the success of implementation strategies. These include subsidising cost and travel, establishing a caseload of participants to receive CST, promotion and marketing of CST groups, educating family caregivers on the role of psychosocial interventions and enlisting their endorsement, and developing a 'train the trainer' model for CST group leaders. We will discuss the feasibility and acceptability of in‐person and virtual CST in varied settings, drawing on quantitative and qualitative findings from the pre‐post study of CST. Conclusion: It is crucial to not only culturally adapt the content of a psychosocial intervention, but also tailor implementation strategies for unique settings, considering economic realities, health equity and healthcare access. Key next steps to widespread CST implementation are long‐term funding arrangements and endorsement from regional or local guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Group Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is the most widely implemented post‐diagnostic intervention for dementia in the UK (Perkins et al, 2022). This presentation describes the development and initial testing of a virtual group Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (vCST) programme for people with dementia, developed as a result of services moving online during the COVID‐19 pandemic and a general increase in teletherapies. Method: The vCST protocol was developed using the existing group CST manual, through stakeholder consultation with people living with dementia, caregivers, CST group facilitators and dementia service managers. This protocol was then field‐tested with ten groups of people living with dementia in the Brazil, China (Hong Kong), India, Ireland and the UK, and feedback on the protocol was gathered from 14 facilitators. Finally, the vCST programme was delivered to people with dementia in India (n = 15), Brazil (n = 44) and the UK (n = 24). Results: Field testing in five countries indicated acceptability to group facilitators and participants. Feedback from these groups was used to refine the developed protocol. Initial qualitative findings from the UK study and quantitative findings from India, Brazil and the UK will be presented, demonstrating the feasibility, acceptability and perceived benefits of these virtual groups. Conclusion: The final vCST protocol is proposed, including session materials for delivery of CST over video conferencing and a framework for offering CST virtually in global settings. vCST is an acceptable online intervention for many people living with dementia globally. We recommend that it is offered to those unable to access traditional in‐person CST, for example for health reasons and lack of transport or COVID‐19 restrictions. Many services have indicated plans to continue vCST long‐term, hence further research is needed to explore if participant outcomes are comparable to in‐person CST groups. Reference: Perkins, L., Fisher, E., Felstead, C., Rooney, C., Wong, G. H., Dai, R., ... & Spector, A. (2022). Delivering Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) Virtually: Developing and Field‐Testing a New Framework. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 17, 97. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a pressing need for interventions tailored to diverse clinical and demographic populations of dementia caregivers. The South Asian community represents the largest minority ethnic group in England and Wales. However, this community is underserved in research with many online interventions not addressing the specific care needs of South Asian carers in the UK. In this community, awareness about dementia is reported to be lower in comparison to the general population. Additionally, high levels of stigma and pressures to keep care within the family can limit help‐seeking. The World Health Organization's 'iSupport' is an online intervention that can be tailored to meet the needs of diverse populations. Method: 'iSupport' will be adapted for caregivers of UK‐based South Asian people with dementia (with translations into Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu). Stakeholder consultation and co‐design involving caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers and charity representatives will employ a range of methods including focus groups, think‐aloud and semi‐structured interviews to support the cultural adaptation of iSupport in all three languages. Result: Adaptations for the UK South Asian population include: tailoring translations and cultural nuances that reflect the South Asian diaspora; the use of audio and videos to increase access to carers with a range of literacy levels; and addressing misconceptions about defining oneself as a caregiver. Next steps include testing the feasibility and acceptability of the adapted Bengali iSupport intervention. Conclusion: These tailored interventions will better support the knowledge and skills of South Asian caregivers. The e‐health approach enables broad reach and offers support to those unable to access interventions due to cultural and language barriers, resulting in informed communities and improved wellbeing outcomes for carers and people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]