Cognitive stimulation therapy: A New Zealand pilot

Publication date: 21 January 2015

Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) is a structured group therapy for people with mild to moderate dementia. This report looks at the acceptability of CST in the New Zealand context. The report evaluates two pilot CST groups held in community and residential care settings. The report can be downloaded from the downloads section on this page.

Key findings

• CST is an acceptable psychological therapy for older people with a clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia.
• It is able to be delivered relatively easily in both community and residential care settings.
• Benefits of CST include a positive effect on mood, improved memory, and improved quality of life.