Impact of Social Support Through Personalized Visits on Behavioral Symptoms in Residential Care

Primary Outcome: Change in Neuropsychiatric symptoms as measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q)

时间窗: Baseline (1 week before the intervention) and one week following the 12-week intervention

The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) is a caregiver/informant-report measure assessing the presence and severity of 12 neuropsychiatric symptom domains commonly associated with dementia (e.g., delusions, agitation, depression, anxiety, apathy, irritability). For each domain, caregivers rate symptom severity (1-3) and caregiver distress (0-5). A total severity score is calculated by summing the severity ratings across domains, with higher scores indicating greater neuropsychiatric symptom burden. Change scores were calculated by comparing total severity scores at baseline (one week pre-intervention) to scores at one week post-intervention (following the 12-week intervention period).

Change in Perceived loneliness as measured by the DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (6-item short form)

时间窗: Baseline (1 week prior to the start of the 12-week intervention) and 1 week following completion of the 12-week intervention

The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (6-item short form) is a self-report measure assessing subjective feelings of loneliness, encompassing both emotional loneliness (the perceived absence of an intimate relationship) and social loneliness (the perceived absence of a wider social network). The short form consists of 6 items, each rated as "yes," "more or less," or "no," yielding a total loneliness score ranging from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater loneliness. Change scores were calculated by comparing total scores at baseline (one week pre-intervention) to scores at one week post-intervention (following the 12-week intervention period).