For long-term care (LTC) residents, multiple barriers impede access to formal museum-based participa-tory art programming. Capitalizing on available technologies may circumvent common barriers and improve quality of life for those older adults even in the presence of dementia.
Targets:
A convenience sample of 31 older adults was recruited from the population of residents in one LTC facility.
Intervention:
ArtontheBrain, a web-based program, engages participants in activities centered on visual artwork, enabling users to learn about artists through activities, such as puzzles, storytelling, and group discussions.
Mechanisms of Action:
Researchers hypothesized that engagement with ArtontheBrain would benefit perceived quality of life in the domains of meaningful activity engagement and personal relationships and secondarily, improvements in functional performance, mood state, and cognitive performance may occur.
Outcomes:
Application of a quality of life survey pre and post ArtontheBrain intervention revealed significant improvements within the individual subsample for two activity options: engagement in enjoyable activities on weekends and evenings and explore new skills and interests. Total scores for the personal relationship scale had significant improvements post-intervention for the individual and group subsamples. The individual subsample demonstrated improvement in cognitive performance, which worsened for the group subsample. Mood and functional ability worsened for the entire sample.[
Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14
(5), 235–243.]
Achieving institutional goal of full, person-centered care was encumbered by an outdated structural “hospital model” at one long-term care facility that undertook building renovations, transforming long hallways into “neighborhood” of compact households. Quality of Life Survey and Long-term Care Minimum Data Set generated data at baseline and 1-year follow-up, comparing renovated(RU) and non-renovated unit(NRU) residents (n=36) to evaluate achievement of person-centered care. RU residents indicating they could “eat when I want” increased 75% to 81% at follow-up and decreased 17% for NRU residents. Sixty-seven percent of RU residents reported bathing “when they want” in contrast to 40% of NRU residents. Most RU residents agreed, “staff act on my suggestions.”More RU residents (68% vs 53%) agreed: “I spend time with other like-minded residents” and more RU residents (86% vs 43%) reported opportunity to explore new skills, interests. RU residents more often reported (50% vs 37%) “people ask for my help or advice.” Similar differences were observed with “it is easy to make friends here,” 67% RU residents responding affirmatively. RU residents reporting “feeling down” improved, moving from 46% to 50% disagreeing with this item with while increased number of NRU residents (18% to 22%) reported “feeling down” at follow-up.Improvement with independent performance of bed mobility, transfer, walking, and dressing among RU residents was observed while NRU residents had decreased percentages of independence. Evaluation of resident outcomes demonstrated improvement with personal choice, activities, personal relationships, functional independence and mood. Physical unit renovations appear to enhance implementation of person-centered care model.
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