ENGAGEMENT OF PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA

Hebrew Home Of Greater Washington, Rockville MD

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study aims to examine the factors affecting engagement of demented, elderly nursing home residents with a range of stimuli. While apathy, boredom, depression, and loneliness frequently accompany the progression of dementia, engagement of the demented nursing home residents in constructive, meaningful activities creates a possibility for enhancing the level of their daily functioning, and preventing the manifestation of problem behaviors associated with dementia. The study will clarify how elderly nursing home residents that suffer from dementia become engaged in appropriate activities, ascertain different kinds of responses of older demented persons to various objects/stimuli, and compare the engagement value of different stimuli used during stimulation session. The study will involve a repeated-measures design in which 158 nursing home residents will be presented with 22 stimuli, which vary along dimensions specified below, in different, random orders. Attention, attitude, and length of engagement will be measured, as well as background variables that capture the person, the stimulus and the environment. The stimuli will vary on several dimensions: life-like vs. not life-like, social vs. non-social, requiring manipulative vs. passive interaction, and eliciting past meaningful work or leisure roles vs. general stimuli not eliciting those roles. The proposed study opens a new field of systematic exploration of the engagement of nursing home residents suffering from dementia in appropriate activities. The strategy chosen provides a basic body of knowledge necessary for the development of engagement theory in persons with cognitive disabilities. This will also help to elaborate interventions to reduce inappropriate behaviors, boredom and depression in this population. It involves a complex yet replicable manner for analyzing engagement, and thereby identifies straightforward plans for tailoring appropriate activities to individuals. In that way, it presents an exciting prospect for improving the quality of life in demented persons, thereby reducing their caregivers' burden.