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Our Approach

The Connect Method®

An Australian approach to cognitive stimulation, bringing research, neurorehabilitation and relationship-centred care into everyday practice.

​​​From Research to Real Life

Drawing on over 25 years' experience in rehabilitation, aged care and community reablement, I know how important it is to make research and professional knowledge easy for people to understand.

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Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) is recommended in the UK’s NICE dementia guidelines, with research showing benefits for cognition, language and quality of life.¹˒³˒⁴˒⁸ When I was running group CST sessions, families often asked how they could continue similar activities and conversations at home.

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I also saw the challenges care providers face in delivering CST well and consistently. Facilitators often need to source and adapt their own activities from a UK framework developed more than 20 years ago, and creating activities that are stimulating, adult-focused and adaptable takes considerable time, experience and resources.

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This led me to develop The Connect Method®, an Australian approach that brings together CST principles, neurorehabilitation and relationship-centred care, with step-by-step facilitator guidance and ready-to-use resources. It underpins my Cognitive Connections™ programs for families at home and care teams running groups, and I’m planning a formal evaluation of both programs during 2027.

"No one explained things the way you did.

Everything finally made sense" - J.P (Daughter)

The Principles Behind Our Approach

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy

Research shows that CST can support cognition, language, communication and quality of life for people living with dementia.¹˒³,⁴

Neurorehabilitation
Principles

Drawing on the brain's capacity to learn and adapt, with a focus on building on existing abilities and supporting participation.²˒⁶˒⁷

Relationship-Centred Approach

Recognising each person's individuality, encouraging choice, positive communication and connection.⁵

What Makes Our Approach Different?

Clear Guidance

Clear, step-by-step instructions to help families and care teams prepare, adapt and deliver activities confidently.

Adult-Focused

Engaging activities and quality resources that encourage thinking, conversation and opinions while respecting individual life experiences.

Individual Strengths

Activities designed to build on each person's existing strengths and abilities, with flexibility to adapt to different interests, preferences and abilities. 

Training & Support

Professional education and guidance to help families and care teams understand how and why activities work.

Putting Our Approach Into Practice

Community Activity with Australian Bankn

For Care Providers

Staff training, facilitator manuals and ready-to-use resources to support structured cognitive stimulation in aged care settings.

Provider Programs
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For Families

A seven-week, therapist-guided program to exercise thinking and language skills through engaging activities at home.

Family Programs
Research behind the Connect Method

References

  1. Desai, R., Leung, W. G., Fearn, C., John, A., Stott, J., & Spector, A. (2024). Effectiveness of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) for mild to moderate dementia: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials using the original CST protocol. Ageing Research Reviews, 97, Article 102312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102312

  2. Thoft, D. S., Grarup, B., & Mortensen, A. (2025). A scoping review of the effect and experience of participating in dementia rehabilitation when living with early stage dementia: Seen from a lifelong learning perspective. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 47(7), 662–674. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459251331564

  3. Paggetti, A., Druda, Y., Sciancalepore, F., Della Gatta, F., Ancidoni, A., Locuratolo, N., Piscopo, P., Vignatelli, L., Sagliocca, L., Guaita, A., Secreto, P., Stracciari, A., Caffarra, P., Vanacore, N., Fabrizi, E., Lacorte, E., & Italian Dementia Guideline Working Group. (2025). The efficacy of cognitive stimulation, cognitive training, and cognitive rehabilitation for people living with dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. GeroScience, 47(1), 409–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01400-z

  4. Jiménez-Palomares, M., Montero-Barrero, O., Garrido-Ardila, E. M., Gibello-Rufo, A., González-Sánchez, B., & Rodríguez-Mansilla, J. (2025). Cognitive stimulation in older adults with dementia: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(20), Article 7225. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14207225

  5. Kitwood, T. (1997). Dementia reconsidered: The person comes first. Open University Press.

  6. Puderbaugh, M., & Emmady, P. D. (2023). Neuroplasticity. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557811/

  7. Stern, Y. (2012). Cognitive reserve in ageing and Alzheimer’s disease. The Lancet Neurology, 11(11), 1006–1012. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70191-6

  8. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018). Dementia: Assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers (NICE Guideline No. NG97). https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97

​Reference List:

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  1. Desai, R., Leung, W. G., Fearn, C., John, A., Stott, J., & Spector, A. (2024). Effectiveness of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) for mild to moderate dementia: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of randomised control trials using the original CST protocol. Ageing research reviews, 97, 102312. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102312​

  2. Puderbaugh, M., & Emmady, P. D. (2026). Neuroplasticity. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557811/

  3. Kitwood, T. (1997). Dementia Reconsidered: The Person Comes First. Open University Press.

  4. Thoft, D. S., Grarup, B., & Mortensen, A. (2025). A scoping review of the effect and experience of participating in dementia rehabilitation when living with early stage dementia. Western Journal of Nursing Research

  5. Paggetti, A., Druda, Y., Sciancalepore, F., Della Gatta, F., Ancidoni, A., Locuratolo, N., Piscopo, P., Vignatelli, L., Sagliocca, L., Guaita, A., Secreto, P., Stracciari, A., Caffarra, P., Vanacore, N., Fabrizi, E., Lacorte, E., Caffarra, P., Guaita, A., Secreto, P., … Porrello, M. C. (2025). The efficacy of cognitive stimulation, cognitive training, and cognitive rehabilitation for people living with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. GeroScience: Official Journal of the American Aging Association (AGE), 47(1), 409–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-024-01400-z

  6. Jiménez-Palomares, M., Montero-Barrero, O., Garrido-Ardila, E. M., Gibello-Rufo, A., González-Sánchez, B., & Rodríguez-Mansilla, J. (2025). Cognitive Stimulation in Older Adults with Dementia: A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(20), 7225. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14207225

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