Research shows that apathy is a significant challenge for people with dementia. They lose the ability to take initiative, which greatly affects their mental and physical health. This makes the disorder much more difficult to treat.
PROBLEM
Andrus on Hudson, based in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, serves and cares for individuals (“residents”, to reflect the environment in which they are cared for) who suffer from a variety of illnesses various memory loss. One of the main challenges that caregivers and residents face is the negative behaviors that occur when there is downtime during the day and/or the sundown window.
These negative behaviors include agitation and wandering. While AOH uses best practices to provide care to these residents, such as responding to negative behaviors, says Andruette “Kerry” Beckford, RN, director of nursing at AOH. extreme, but it is important for caregivers to extend the “toolkit” to this particular population. .
“In addition to a strong recreational therapy program, the tools in the toolkit are effective, but should be used in moderation, such as for people to watch TV or similar methods,” she explains. self to help reduce negative behavior”. “However, these do not always attract enough residents.”
SUGGESTIONS
To address this challenge, AOH turned to Tover, a healthcare technology company based in the Netherlands that focuses on people facing cognitive challenges including dementia. and intellectual disability. Market Tover Tovertafel, a gaming desk for people with cognitive disabilities.
“This technology has also helped address states of apathy, which negatively affect physical, cognitive, and emotional health.”
Andruette “Kerry” Beckford, RN, Andrus on Hudson
Beckford recalls: “When Tovertafel was brought to our attention, the care team had a positive perception. “So they wanted to see it in action to gauge its true effectiveness and the practicality of using it with residents on a regular basis.”
MEET CHALLENGES ONLY
AOH set up Tovertafel on its memory care tier to expand its caregiver resource toolkit. Beckford reports that it’s relatively easy to set up, and the technology implementation for IT and maintenance teams is streamlined with some challenges.
“This helps ensure Tovertafel is rolled out thoughtfully and toward the residents who we believe will benefit most from the technology,” she said.
She continued: “There was a schedule for residents to experience Tovertafel with the care team – and from the start the technology worked. “Residents who used it engaged and engaged in positive ways that the care team didn’t anticipate.”
Some residents who were less inclined to participate joined in by using their hands and giving positive verbal feedback. Perhaps most importantly, some residents clearly show lower levels of agitation at times when they are more likely to be agitated, when they are still immersed in the programmes.
Over time, AOH has expanded its use of Tover to other non-memory care tiers and has received similarly positive feedback in terms of engagement and immersion in programs.
RESULT
It’s still early to have quantitative data on health outcomes, but Beckford offers a summary of the technology’s impact on her residents.
“We initially ordered a Tovertafel for our memory tier, but quickly realized that all of our residents would enjoy and benefit from the games,” she recalls. “So we bought one Tovertafel for each floor, bringing this total to four.
She concludes: “This technology also helps address states of apathy, which negatively affect physical, cognitive and emotional health. “Our residents are moving more when seated at their desks, may stretch farther than they normally do or believe they can, and report feeling more social and happier as well. like less fear and sadness during the day.”
Follow Bill’s HIT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki
Email the writer: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
