MARQUE

The MARQUE study: Managing Agitation and Raising Quality of Life in dementia

MARQUE (Managaing Agitation and Raising Quality of life) is a five year long study taking place all over England. Responding to the government's 'Challenge on Dementia', MARQUE aims to increase knowledge about dementia, agitation and personhood. Agitation is extremely common in people with dementia and causes distress to themselves, family carers and paid carers. Agitation is currently tackled on an individual level, not an organisation level.

The research will involve observing and interviewing a wide range of people with dementia and those who care for them at home, in care homes and in hospital in order to better understand how agitation is currently managed, barriers to good practice and how care could be improved.

We will use this information to develop, test and implement a manual to train staff about how to reduce agitation and improve quality of life in care homes. We will also develop a plot home intervention and will further develop another manual to improve people with dementia's end of life for 'terminal agitation'.

MARQUE aims to

• Build on theories of personhood in dementia to understand agitation, resilience and compassion to improve public debate and discourse.
• Make agitation as much as a part of dementia care as risk assessment.
• To improve and maintain quality of life in people with dementia whether at home, in a care home or in hospital.

For more information, please visit the  MARQUE web site. 

The Team