A Good Life with Dementia:Realist evaluation of a post-diagnostic peer-led course, run by and for people with dementia

The Good Life with Dementia approach was created by and for people with dementia so that those with lived experience could provide structured support to others newly diagnosed with the condition. The programme is based on some underlying ideas (theories) about why such an approach might work more effectively than traditional (professional-led) forms of post-diagnostic support. A team at the University of York, in collaboration with Tees Esk and Wear Valley’s NHS Foundation Trust, has been working with peer tutors and other stakeholders living with dementia to make these underlying theories explicit. In the NIHR Three Schools funded project: Understanding the Role of 'Peer Tutors' in Post-Diagnostic Support for People with Dementia: A Realist Process Evaluation of the Good Life with Dementia Approach, theories of change are being tested and refined to clarify: how the peer-tutor programme might improve things; who it might improve things for; to what extent; and in what contexts. We are also exploring what outcomes the programme might influence, and which factors influence whether these outcomes are achieved. In this session we present early findings from initial stages of this evaluation, including observations of Good Life course sessions and initial theories of change. As with all elements of the programme and associated research, the presentation was designed in collaboration with experts by experience, whose voices have and will continue to feed into developing theories. A next step will be to test out initial theories in different contexts, including with stakeholders from South Asian communities.