Katherine Britt was several years into her nursing career when her father was diagnosed with dementia. As the disease progressed, it wore away his ability to talk and eat. However, his favorite Bible verse spoken by a friend could still bring him to tears.
“Although he couldn’t communicate with us, he understood its meaning,” explains Britt, assistant professor in gerontological nursing in the University of Iowa (UI) College of Nursing and researcher affiliate with the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI). “That was really powerful. We need to bring meaning to people who are facing a progressive illness and lose control of certain things.”
Inspired by her father, Britt researches how alternatives to medications can slow dementia, including the therapeutic effects of religious involvement and spirituality.
“Spiritual care can help connect individuals with sources of meaning and purpose,” says Britt. “If caregivers can connect dementia patients to spiritual activities tailored to them, then patients may be provided with purpose, connection, and optimism—all curative feelings.”
Research on spiritual care is still in its infancy. But Britt’s work strengthens the scientific basis for its biological efficacy. For example, she found that individuals who report higher religious beliefs and values have fewer biological markers for inflammation and that the cognitive health benefits of spiritual practice vary by race and gender.
To expedite wider implementation of spiritual care, Britt believes there should be more formal nursing curriculum about the practice, coupled with continued dialogue about how spiritual practitioners fit into this medical implementation and refined means of assessing the impact.
Preventing cognitive decline through innovative planning
As in many families, Britt’s mother was forced into early retirement to care for her father—and Britt was pulled in to help as well.
“I had to take on a new role with my family and start making medical decisions and helping with his care. That whole experience opened my eyes to how much is needed to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their family caregivers,” she recounts.
Her family’s experiences continue to influence her career and research. Britt’s next project aims to ease the burden of cognitive care planning. This is the process of making medical plans that detail changes in a patient’s lifestyle and habits that will lower their risk of dementia or lessen their already forthcoming decline.
Britt is asking stakeholders involved in cognitive care planning—dementia specialists, caregivers, and patients—about the concerns and challenges they face after a planning session. She recently co-authored an article featuring the first of a two-part study on healthcare providers’ knowledge, experiences, and attitudes toward cognitive care planning. Published in Public Policy & Aging Report, they catalogue neurologists’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementing cognitive care planning.
Once she finishes the conversations with all the stakeholders, Britt will feed the results into an AI model to create a chatbot for caregiver. If they have a question outside of clinic hours, they can simply ask the chatbot. This convenience will especially help those who struggle to access healthcare services, including residents of rural communities.
A supportive community at CSSI
Britt believes that social science research is what allows her to capture the full story of cognitive decline.
“We need to recognize who patients are. They are not the disease. They are an individual with needs,” Britt asserts.
It’s one reason why she became a CSSI researcher affiliate, a collaborative community for UI faculty and research staff to share new knowledge and opportunities relating to social science research.
For example, Britt plans to cultivate the relationships she built attending a Changing Behaviors for Social Impact event. She hopes to collaborate with researchers who investigate stress and illness and are open to understanding the impact of spiritual practices.
Other benefits of the researcher affiliate program include priority access to research support and funding alerts. Learn more about the researcher affiliate program.
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