Explore SAIDO Learning
Improving the quality of life for seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
As many of us know from personal experience, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other diseases affecting memory and cognition in older adults have severe impacts – not only do these diseases affect the lives of those diagnosed, they also affect the lives of friends, loved ones, and caregivers trying to provide assistance. SAIDO Learning can help lessen this impact by improving the quality of life for those affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia. SAIDO is a nonpharmacological program based on a learning intervention offering mental exercises and an opportunity for enhancing individual engagement with staff and others in everyday life.
SAIDO Learning was developed by the Kumon Institute of Education (Kumon) of Osaka, Japan, in conjunction with Professor Ryuta Kawashima of the Smart Aging International Research Center (SAIRC) at Tohoku University in Sendai. It has been practiced for more than 18 years in more than 1,600 nursing facilities across Japan, showing increased engagement in over 18,000 older adults. The goal of SAIDO Learning is to not only provide care for individuals with dementia, but to improve their quality of life through intentional engagement opportunities.
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia constitute the 6th leading cause of death in the United States today, with an estimated 6 million older adults diagnosed. Through SAIDO Learning, we can do more than just care for older adults with Alzheimer’s and dementia – we can positively impact their quality of life without the use of drugs.
In the video below, you’ll get a glimpse of sessions and the exercises that learners and supporters take part in. The individualization throughout the sessions allows SAIDO to reach learners at any stage of dementia and enables them to gain confidence. SAIDO does not just treat the symptoms of dementia, SAIDO changes the person.
How SAIDO Learning Works
The SAIDO Learning method involves a caregiver (called a “Supporter”) trained to work with two older adults (called “Learners”) by engaging them in a series of precise, yet simple, arithmetic, writing and reading exercises. The exercises are performed five times per week and last 30 minutes. The object of the program is not to teach the material but to engage the Learner in the accomplishment of repeated successful exercises, progressing to new material at the Learner’s own level and pace. This process fosters the Learner’s confidence, abilities, and initiative to advance and try new things. Changes in Learners are often observed and range from being more engaged in daily activities and meals, more socially involved with caregivers and families, and more optimistic about daily living. Learners have also shown increased engagement and social interaction with others.
