The SENSE-Cog Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT): Comparing individualised sensory intervention to standard care to improve quality of life in people with dementia and their companions

You may be able to take part if you are aged 60 or older and have a clinical diagnosis of mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or a mixture of both. You must also have some difficulties with your vision, your hearing, or both, and live in your own home or sheltered housing.

Because daily support is central to the study, you must have an informal companion who is willing to take part with you. This should be an unpaid carer, such as a spouse, relative, or close friend, who lives with you or visits you at least once a week.

If you take prescription medication for your memory (such as donepezil or memantine), your dose needs to have been unchanged for at least four weeks before joining. You also need to be able to give your consent to take part, or have a family member act as a consultee to agree on your behalf.

Taking part lasts for 36 weeks, and all visits take place in the comfort of your own home. A computer will randomly place you into one of two groups. If you are in the sensory intervention group, an optometrist or audiologist will give you a full check-up at home and provide free glasses or hearing aids if you need them. A sensory support therapist will then visit you once a week for up to 10 weeks to help you get used to your new devices, tackle daily tasks, and connect with local community activities.

If you are placed in the standard care group, you will receive a home screening check and helpful leaflets on how to get sensory care through your usual doctor. Both groups will complete simple questionnaires at the start, middle, and end of the study to track quality of life, memory, and daily routines. No new medicines are tested, and you keep any glasses or hearing aids you receive.