Assessing through focus groups the demand, facilitators, and barriers of a cognitive stimulation intervention for healthy older adults

With increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates, a global demographic shift toward an aging population is evident. While health organizations recommend cognitive stimulation and education to reduce cognitive decline, there is a lack of standardized protocols for implementation in health services. Focus groups involving older adults, their families, health professionals and researchers on aging (n = 32) were conducted. The data were recorded and transcribed and then analyzed via Framework Analysis. Five main themes ('Demand', 'Facilitators', 'Barriers', 'Targets for stimulation', 'Expected outcomes') and 23 subthemes emerged regarding the implementation of a cognitive stimulation protocol for healthy older adults. Stakeholders acknowledged the demand and emphasized the importance of social interaction and attractive presentation. They discussed multifaceted barriers, and numerous stimulation targets indicated the need for general cognitive stimulation. The primary indicators of intervention success included enhanced mood, social engagement, functionality, and cognitive health preservation. Future interventions should consider the impact of stigma on naming and advertising, pay attention to cost-effectiveness and prioritize an intervention structure and group activities to enhance social support networks and cognitive health.