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Memories of the past are critically important as we age. For older adults receiving formal care in a range of settings, reminiscing with care staff may provide frequent opportunities for recalling autobiographical memories with a supportive conversational partner. Importantly, prior research suggests that some reminiscing conversations are more supportive than others. In the developmental literature, a long tradition of sociocultural memory research has shown how children's autobiographical memory is scaffolded and supported by parents during reminiscing, when parents use a particular kind of conversational technique, known as "elaborative reminiscing". In the current project, we aimed to examine whether we could enhance conversations between staff and older people receiving aged care by teaching care staff about these beneficial conversational techniques and supporting them to reminisce more often with residents/clients. We also aimed to determine whether staff members' use of elaborative reminiscing techniques was associated with autobiographical memory details recalled by residents/clients during routine conversations. We conducted a workshop with 16 staff within a residential aged care and community care setting. We followed this with a 4-week training-and-feedback period during which staff recorded their conversations with residents and clients. Staff feedback indicated successful use of the scaffolding techniques overall, and benefits as well as barriers to their use in day-to-day practice. Analysis of the conversations demonstrated that the use of particular elaborative reminiscing techniques by staff was associated with increased recall of episodic and semantic autobiographical memory details by residents/clients. Overall, findings suggest that the principles of elaborative reminiscing may apply across the lifespan, and that the benefits of elaborative reminiscing for autobiographical memory may be particularly important in times of cognitive need. Practically, training aged care staff in specific and practical conversational tools can facilitate reminiscing for people receiving aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Methods Discussion Major knowledge and practice gaps exist in aged care home services to support independence of older people with dementia. This research evaluates an adaptation of a community‐based rehabilitation model for care homes, namely Interdisciplinary Care Home‐bAsed Reablement Program (I‐CHARP), by examining whether (and, if so, how) I‐CHARP produces its intended effects and how this programme can be practicably implemented, sustained and scaled up across care homes in Australia.I‐CHARP is a 4‐month bio‐behavioural‐environmental rehabilitation model of care, integrated in care home services, supported through the deployment of an implementation strategy, the Research Enabled Aged Care Homes (REACH) network. It consists of (1) 8–12 full individual sessions and additional eight brief follow‐ups per resident, tailored to the resident's needs, delivered primarily by a team of an occupational therapist, registered nurse and other allied health staff; (2) environmental modifications/assistive devices up to the value of $400 per resident; and (3) engagement of intervention care home staff, managers and regular visitors. An overarching evaluation approach is participatory action research using a cluster quasi‐experimental design and mixed methods. It involves testing of the implementation strategy (REACH network and other approaches) while observing/gathering information on the intervention (I‐CHARP) and related outcomes in three cycles. Participants include residents (aged ≥ 60 years with early stages of dementia) and care staff from 16 care homes. Care quality indicators, health care costs, field notes and semi‐structured interviews/focus groups with intervention site staff, regular visitors and managers will provide further insights into I‐CHARP processes and implementation issues.In the final phase of the project, an Agile Implementation Playbook will be developed for the delivery of reablement care that can be used in routine practice across care homes in Australia. The study findings will also inform future policy development and strategic directions for dementia care in care homes.Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12623000885695 Registered 16 August 2023, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=386088.Protocol version: 1.0 dated 20 July 2023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]